♥ Starr Ranch ♥ 1x1 ♥ Remake/Continuation ♥

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda blinked at Shannon, looking a little confused. "My...head?"

Oh, right. She'd had so much on her mind that the concussion she'd gotten all those weeks ago had just slipped out of her thoughts. "Oh, it's fine," she said with a smile. "Haven't felt a twinge in weeks."

And it was true. She felt fine - aside from her conflicting emotions about Xavier, and how much she missed Dev, and the...other things.

She felt fine.

"Is it lunchtime? Can I help?"

~

Roman growled low in his throat, his eyes empty of anything but hate. He braced his feet and took the next shot that Xavier aimed at him - that was fine, it would probably hurt the other boy more than him to aim for such a bony place.

He took the opportunity. While Xavier was occupied, since both the other male's hands were essentially trapped, Roman snapped out a sharp kick that aimed for the place where the thigh muscles narrowed. It would hurt, would incapacitate for at least a few minutes.

Long enough to finish the kill. And he intended to finish it.  

[minus infinity]

Xavier's plan to leap onto the other man failed when he felt a splitting impact close to his kneecap. Roaring an obscenity as he fell to the ground, Xavier knew he had lost. The hoofbeats were getting ever closer, and damned if whoever it was coming was Esmeralda. He didn't think he could take any of her witty remarks right now, and it was extremely obvious her brother hated him now. So what was he going to do now? What the hell was he going to do now?
And why were there only questions?
Pain. There was a lot of pain. That he knew. From the impact of the throw, from their fight, and his loss ...
Dammit! Usually the good guys won, why were the bad guys winning? But what if Xavier himself was the bad guy? He would refuse to think that, refuse to back down. If they thought a few punches would have him surrendering, they were damn wrong. Speaking of wrong ...
A dainty feminine voice caused him to look up. No, not Esmeralda. Thumbelina, getting off her horse and stuttering a little about bringing their shirts back. Well, um ... should he thank her? He knew she was scared of him. What would she do if she caught him looking at her, or God forbid, talking to her? Xavier shook his head and muttered to himself in Spanish as Thumbelina approached Hulk.
They were made for each other, he thought dully as he closed his eyes again and winced at a second explosion of pain through his body.

______________________________________


Kahlilia found the boys quickly enough, and had dismounted with the two shirts in hand when she looked around and realized what had happened.
I brought your shirts back, I figured maybe -- guys! Oh my goodness whatonearthjusthappened? Y-you were only gone for a couple of minutes!

Of course, having dozed off earlier Kahlilia didn't really know how long it had been since Roman had left. But hunting Xavier down and fighting? Oh my gosh oh my gosh oh my gosh -
Kahlilia was looking from one man to the other. Both shirtless, both injured, one curled up on the ground wincing and cursing.
The girl wasn't sure what to think. She was frightened to think that the boys had fought (and the evidence was pretty clear that they had) and yet there was something else there too. Flashes of her strip tease, the tingle in her lips she had felt with their kiss ... what was happening to her?
Almost in slow motion, Lily put the two shirts up on Benvolio's saddle and walked a little closer to the two boys. Xavier was a distance away from her and when he was injured like that he wasn't as much of a threat to her (he seemed to be in too much pain to confront her in any way), and actually she was just going towards Roman. It was obvious that both of them were extremely angry. Would Roman try to hurt her if she got close enough? Kahlilia stopped in her tracks at the thought and looked at him. It was close to the same look she had seen when he and Esmeralda had left the barn and come back over to her after whatever it was that had happened. It almost seemed like an eerie calm, deceptively of course, and damned if she wasn't both scared and still remembering a slightly similar intense look he had given her before he kissed her. When she had stopped with that chilling thought, Lily was about three feet in front of Roman, biting her lip. What had happened? Would he tell her? Would he try to hurt her? Only one way to find out, a familiar purring voice told her. Lily closed her eyes briefly as a fog of possession engulfed her with lust, and when they opened again their glint was just a tiny bit different. A little more confident, a little more risky, a little more dangerous ...
With the last ounce of her shy personality leaving her (just for now ... right?) as she closed the distance between them, Lily curled her berry lips into a small smile and opened her arms for a hug. And then the shyness left, like a butterfly flying away, or a tiger pouncing ...
Lily simply hugged Roman at first, but it only lasted a second before she actually pounced on him and wrapped her legs around him.

________________________________________


Shannon smiled as the girl in front of her found her voice, kind of happy and kind of concerned when she realized that Esmeralda wasn't making a big deal out of a potentially deadly injury. Well, to each their own. Lunchtime will be in about an hour, it all depends on this guy, Shannon pointed to her old stove,Or would ya'll rather have this girl here? With that statement, Shannon picked up the loquacious hen by her feet and showed her to Esmeralda. Kitty immediately began to cluck again, in some sort of chicken language greeting and plea not to be eaten - even though Shannon was obviously joking, she loved all of her chickens. Finally, though, Shannon put Kitty back down to explore the kitchen and cluck some more, then swept her hand through her hair and looked around, a little more serious this time. Would you mind finding the others and telling them to get over here? Heck, I don't really think I've seen any of them myself since they registered here! It was mostly true, she wished she could get to know the four campers she had on her ranch and exchange stories with them. Certainly hearing teenager's stories made her feel much older than her 54 years, but it was interesting just the same. She wondered if the campers had met one another and were getting along?

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda smiled warmly at Shannon. "I don't know - I don't think I'm in the mood for chicken," she teased back lightly. When Shannon set Kitty down and asked her question, she laughed. "Well, I've seen plenty of all of them."

In some cases, more than I want.

But she wouldn't say that to Shannon.

Instead, she put on her 'cheerful' face. "Yeah, sure. I think I know where they are." Xavier where she had left him - and he could rot there for all she cared. Roman and Lily likely by the river.

If she saddled up Sahara and rode fast, she'd find them before the food was even done.

Roman stiffened when he heard Kahlilia. He had never, never wanted her to see him like this, some part of his mind noted distantly. But it was too late for regrets, and he just stood there and waited for her horror and disgust to rip him to shreds.

His dark eyes followed her as she came closer, and there was no kindness in them. They were still full of anger, still cold - and yet there was a kind of predatory heat in them that would have set off warning signals for a more experienced woman.

When she hugged him, he was confused. When she pounced him...

His rational mind wanted to run for the hills. This wild, bloodthirsty stranger that had taken over his body welcomed her touch, and took more.

Without giving her a chance to change her mind, he gathered her up in his arms and crossed to Phoenix.

Then he dumped her onto the horse's back and mounted behind her. Clucking once to Benvolio, he turned Phoenix away and sent him at a gallop towards the pond. His hands were resting intimately on her sides, and he didn't say a word.

He didn't have to.  

[minus infinity]

(OOC / getting too fangirl-y to post for X and Shannon yet. We'll assume X is still in a lot of pain and cursing and Shannon says 'thank you, bye bye now' and Kitty ... clucks some more.)


Kahlilia knew that to support the both of them, Roman had to pick her up. However, she did not know what he planned to do when suddenly she found herself on Phoenix's back again. Only one way to find out ...
There was still that part of her that could have never done something so daring as pouncing, but just like before it was stifled by the heat she was feeling. It was all over her body, on her shoulders, on her knees ... and as she felt Roman's hands on her waist there was a sensual tingle deep in her abdomen, almost like a tickle. Oh, but she knew that what they were doing wasn't playful anymore ...
Benvolio, though, didn't seem to know what their intentions were just yet. He happily trotted close behind Phoenix, almost seeming glad to be away from Xavier and his horse Lady, who had once rejected him. Rejection. What if ... ?
The thought left Kahlilia's mind as she realized they were beginning to pick up speed. Where were they going? Somewhere we can be alone, please let us get there soon ...
It was a couple of minutes, maybe eight, maybe an eternity, before Kahlilia realized they were approaching the pond. Their spot ...
Although she kept one hand on Phoenix's reins, the girl began to bite her lip again in anticipation and put her other hand on Roman's thigh. She didn't know how much more she could take. What were they going to do? Would he accept her? Would he be her first? Daydreams clouded her mind again, except this time they were far from dainty and shy. Kassandra's purring voice again ... Give it all you've got.
As the minutes dragged on by, they got closer to the pond and Lily's inner heat began to increase. On any other day the pond relaxed her and made her feel peaceful ... but what would it have in store for her now?
Only one way to find out.

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda accepted the dismissal, and headed out the door, intent on her search.

She didn't really feel like finding Xavier right away - at least not without backup - so she went to the barn and tacked up Sahara. While doing so, she began to think.

Why shouldn't she? She would have no trouble with him. And if she did...

A gleam of metal. The click of loading.

She had her pretty little toy back in her room, tucked away where she could find it later.

Tossing back her dark hair, she mounted Sahara and sent the mare off back into the fields. She'd find Roman and Lily on the way back.

~

Roman shuddered briefly when her hand rested on his thigh. He didn't seem angered or embarrassed now - it was sheerly a physical reaction. With a nudge that caused the muscles under her hand to flex, he urged Phoenix to move faster.

The stallion knew enough - and was wary enough of this stranger Roman had become - to halt once they got to the pond and wait impatiently for Roman to get off, taking Kahlilia with him. As soon as they were off, the big black horse gladly moved away, ducking his muzzle into the pond and beginning to drink.

Normally, Roman would have worried whether the water was good for the horse. Normally, he would have stepped back from Kahlilia and gone to take care of Phoenix - and then just kept going.

This wasn't normal.

He whirled around to face her. He didn't even look like himself - his eyes were darker than usual, and a smile that was as threatening as it was seductive was playing around his mouth. Whoever this man was, he wasn't one that had shown himself before.

With a sort of mocking gentleness, he drew Kahlilia into his arms. His kiss this time wasn't the tentative one of a boy - it was dark and confident, a little teasing. Come on, take a little more.

An invitation, if she was brave enough to take it.  

[minus infinity]

Kahlilia kept her body close to his even when he lifted her and after Phoenix left to go drink the pond water. She had felt him shudder a little bit while they were riding, and then felt his reaction to her, and usually she would revert right back to her shy and slightly childlike self. What was it about this area that changed her so much? One day she had broken down crying, now she was here longing to become intimate. She needed to be intimate with him right here, right now ...
When he kissed her Lily brought up one of her hands and scratched her nails down his back, accepting his invitation with full enthusiasm. And when the kiss ended, Lily knew she had to do this before she regained clarity of her mind and risk ruining their friendship - no, it was more now. But what would it be tomorrow?
Tomorrow be damned.
Lily took off her shirt in a way that made her breasts bounce and her hair wave, and then she wrapped one of her legs around him again and kissed him with every ounce of the sexual anticipation she was feeling. Did he know how much she needed his touch right now? Every single pore was alert, every inch of her body was suddenly hyper-sensitive to touch. She had never felt this way before, and she couldn't stand to have it stop now ...
Off came her bra again and off went her belt. And with her completely bare chest, she rubbed herself against him like an animal begging to be petted. They couldn't stop now, there was no going back ... please don't stop ...
She didn't think she could speak, not with the lump rising in her throat, not with the heat in her lungs. But somehow, three words escaped her.
But not those three words. No, not yet.
Please ... take me.

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

With Sahara's knowledge of the countryside and Esmeralda's sharp eyes, it didn't take her too long to find her way back to the river, and from there to follow the wide swath of trampled grass that her own frantic ride (and Phoenix's following one, though she didn't know that) had left.

Slowing Sahara to a trot as they went down the 'path', she wondered if he would actually still be there. Surely he couldn't have been so pissy about it that he was still pacing and growling here, could he?

Her question was answered when she spotted Lady standing off by herself, looking confused and maybe a bit bored.

And then she saw Xavier curled up on the ground.

Halting the mare, she looked down at him with a cocked brow. "Well, clearly someone was that pissy. What's the matter with you?"

~

Roman took the invitation her body was offering, his hands moving over her in long, relaxed strokes. The possessiveness of the motion should have told Kahlilia right away what would happen 'tomorrow', unless of course he'd gone back to normal by then.

He helped her with the removal of the rest of her clothes, not seeming in the least shy or embarrassed about it (and really, why should he be? He'd seen it before.) His lips brushed hers lightly again before moving lower, nuzzling her neck and nipping gently at the collarbone.

When she spoke at last, he looked at her. The dark gleam in his eyes showed that she'd said exactly what he wanted to hear.

"I will," he purred back, and the stranger inside him added a thought that normally wouldn't have occurred to him. And when I do, you...are mine.

Mine.

And as always, he was as good as his word.

((OOC: *manages to timeskip without actually timeskipping* razz ))  

[minus infinity]

Kahlilia could barely even think by the time she was completely undressed and had started to paw at Roman's jeans. She couldn't take it anymore. Screw being innocent and pure, just for today ... It wouldn't be that bad, right? She just wanted to--
Oh! A chill ran down her spine as he touched her, suddenly nipped her. With a sigh of pleasure, she scratched his arms again and reached down to fondle him. Please don't stop ...
It was like she was being tortured, feeling him press against her and not being able to really do anything about it. So with a surprisingly soft kiss, she pounced on him again so that she was laying on top of him with her legs on either side of him. She was his now ... and may this moment never end ...


Afterward, Kahlilia could barely breathe - screw not being able to think. With her hands on his abdomen, she nuzzled her cheek affectionately against his and kissed him slowly and lingeringly until she finally purred, That was amazing. Because she could just barely breathe now after becoming intimate with him, her voice was barely a whisper - but she was entirely sincere and sensual ... and in pain? Lily knew, somewhere deep in the back of her now faraway logical mind, that becoming intimate for the first time would hurt. She had largely ignored any pain during, gasping and pawing at the man who had made her his; now as her body was floating down excruciatingly slowly from ecstasy she felt pain where their bodies had intertwined. She really didn't know what to do about it and supposed there actually probably was nothing she could do until it passed, so she tried to ignore it again and bathed in the glow of the two of them becoming lovers.

Benvolio, however, was lost on the post-sex glow. He had been grazing on and off as he usually might, but certainly he wasn't immune to the explosive heat between the two riders. His ears twitched, his tail swayed, and when he heard his rider gasp with climax he decided to seek comfort in a good friend. Of course, said good friend was Phoenix - still off drinking by the pond after the quick trip here. The paint horse slowly walked over to the larger alpha stallion, at first just dipping his muzzle into the pond to drink. But then he looked up and his ears twitched again, and he looked at Phoenix with a child's misunderstanding of sex. What on earth had just happened, and why? Were they hurt? What were they doing, anyway? Maybe there were some things he just didn't want to know ...

___________________________________



Xavier thought he would be hearing distant hoofbeats for the rest of his life the way things were going right now. First the hoofbeats signaling Roman's arrival, then Thumbelina arrived on her trusty steed (and left on another one, go figure), and now there was this third pair of hoofbeats. When would it end? And who the hell was coming now? Dammit, he didn't really think he needed any more company right now as it was.
Xavier knew he wouldn't have been able to immediately recognize the rider, whoever it was coming, because he was still in a lot of pain and still curled up on the ground a distance away from Lady, who looked like she would much rather be somewhere else. From where he was, he could look up and see an approaching horse's legs and the lower half of the rider's body, which for now at least seemed good enough for him. And then he heard the voice and groaned. From either pain or exasperation, it was anyone's guess.
Well, now here she was. Dammit, he didn't need to hear any of her remarks right now. What was she doing here, anyway?
Oh, so now I'm the one who's being pissy? Even Xavier's voice sounded a little pained from the fight (and his loss), but there was definitely still anger in it. You should have seen your damn brother. Comes over here shirtless from God-knows-what and proceeds to humiliate me completely, and then his little sex buddy Thumbelina comes along and he kidnaps her to go do her again. Ay, how many times have they been at it? Xavier couldn't stand how even talking hurt him right now. But he figured she should know his side of the story before she heard whatever her brother's side would be.
And dammit, what had Thumbelina done with their shirts?
When the two of them had left him here he was all too aware of what they were about to do, even though they hadn't spoken - it was more than clear just looking at their body language. Xavier didn't really know what he thought of that yet, but he couldn't deny that he would have considered following them and interrupting their intimacy had he not been injured the way he was. He could only imagine what they were doing right now...

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda cocked a brow. "Yes, yes you are," she replied. But when he started talking, she listened - and she was white with anguish, anger and maybe...yes, if Xavier looked hard, maybe just a little fear.

Roman had done that? She had never doubted that Roman would keep his word about what he would do to Xavier. But she'd thought he'd have to actually catch him in the act. Apparently not.

And then he...

"Explain precisely what you mean by 'kidnap'," she said with a deadly quiet in her voice. Oh God. From what Xavier was saying, it was easy enough to tell that her brother's protective, predatory side had surfaced after two years locked away. The side that left even her a little afraid of what Roman would do. What would it have done to Lily?

But...kidnap. Had Kahlilia been a willing participant, had Xavier had the beating coming, or was she going to have to talk her brother out of putting a gun barrel in his mouth?

Oh God, Roman, she thought despairingly, what have you done?

~

Phoenix glanced at Benvolio when the other stallion came across to drink from the pond as well. He snorted softly and pawed the ground, but otherwise seemed uninterested in what was going on a ways away. A smart horse kept his distance from goings-on like that. Instead, he turned his hindquarters purposefully towards the humans and started grazing instead. No, his body language said clearly, you do not want to know. When you grow up and have your own herd with your own mares, you will understand.

The last of that shadow in Roman's eyes seemed to have faded. He was quiet for a long moment, his hand stroking idly down her back. How, exactly, had it come to this? And what was the course of action now?

He had ******** up. Irretrievably. There was no way to turn back - he'd destroyed their friendship as surely as if he'd taken a sledgehammer to it. In its place was this new and fragile something, and that something required...

"Are you hurt?" he asked quietly. "I'm sorry, I never considered that...that you might..." It had never occurred to him that she might still be innocent. Untouched. And he hadn't been gentle. He should have been.

...care. That something required care.

There was something else he hadn't considered, and oh s**t. Was that going to be a problem? He'd ask. But not now. Now was for repairing whatever he might have broken when that other side of him had taken hold. Kissing her forehead gently, he sat up, bringing her up along with him.  

[minus infinity]

Kahlilia didn't know what to say, if anything. What would there be to say? She was mixed up from alternating to innocent to stripper, then back to innocent and just a couple of minutes ago pouncing on this poor guy twice - then losing some degree of herself to desire. Their playful, innocent friendship had ended. There was no going back now, and Lily wasn't sure what to think of that either. One second she was so lost in lust and the need to become intimate, then suddenly here she was sans virginity and not knowing what to do. What should she do? Should she apologize? She'd just heard Roman apologize, should she say it was alright - she'd kind of seduced him anyway? Nothing made sense right now in her post-sex lightheaded-ness. Not her roller coaster of emotions and lost inhibitions, not the way she had been able to do what she did without thinking. And why was she still in pain?
When Roman sat up and subsequently brought her with him she seemed a little confused for some reason. Closing her eyes to keep another surge of lightheaded-ness at bay, Lily held on to the man she was still mostly sitting on and her hand briefly went to the spot where their bodies had intertwined.
A second later, her hand drew back quickly and her head hung. She was bleeding! Why was she bleeding? She wasn't on her period, that was thankfully done with. Was this the source of the pain she was feeling? With her head hung, her hair covered her face from both sides and it was only vaguely visible that Lily was biting her lip, again. She was uncomfortable with the idea that she was bleeding after having sex, and even though she was still a little lightheaded her mind was spinning around in circles. What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?
She knew she didn't want to get blood on Roman, just having blood on herself was more than enough. But she had frozen in place. And just a few minutes earlier, she had been bouncing and begging and ... bleeding?
They had been rough, it was true. But ... ?
Positioning herself in a way so that she more or less sat on Roman's lap with her feet on the ground beside them, Lily turned her torso slightly to hug him and rest her head, face still shielded by hair, on his chest. It was all she felt she could do right now, a sort of middle ground between her Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
_______________________________________


Xavier watched Esmeralda's reactions with mixed feelings. How was it that she seemed so fearful suddenly, and what could he do about it? How could this girl be so afraid of her brother, and if she was why was it? Sure, Blaire saw him get angry a couple of times and was smart enough to stay away. So what was Esmeralda trying to do? Her brother had been more than able to defend himself earlier, and the same was true for this girl, so it wasn't like they needed to keep tabs on one another or anything. Of course, though, Roman had been very adamant about Xavier staying away from his sister ...
Damn, all he was doing was asking himself questions. He needed to find some answers - but it wasn't like Esmeralda was going to tell him anything if he asked her straight out, so he sighed and said By 'kidnapping' I mean Thumbelina throws herself at him. Xavier was about to continue his story when another explosion of pain hit him and silenced him for a few seconds. Then, when he recovered he realized really the only thing that he had really seen was Roman carrying Kahlilia off to ride away and screw her (he knew this only because he had lost sight of Lily and figured Roman was carrying her). Really, he was mostly relying on a hunch he'd had when he recognized the smaller girl's voice, bringing back their shirts from wherever she had just been. It wasn't that far off of an idea, was it? Your brother proceeded to throw her onto his horse and ride away with her, and I already told you what I'm pretty sure they're doing.
Excluding the fight, that was pretty much the extent of Xavier's knowledge. He didn't know where they had gone, he didn't know what they were going to do afterwards and for the most part that didn't worry him. Dammit, unless Hulk came back to finish what he had started. Well, Xavier would be long gone by then. Hopefully, at least.
So what are you planning on doing now that you know where they are?

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda's eyes flickered briefly, and where the fear had been there was now only relief. Not that the anger had faded. Far from it. But it was no longer mixed with the fear that her brother might have finally crossed that line, done something she couldn't call him back from.

When Xavier finished talking, Esmeralda smiled cockily and shrugged. "I'm planning on telling you to get your a** back to the ranch. It's lunchtime."

She swung herself back up onto Sahara - she couldn't quite remember when she had dismounted - and fixed him with a long, cool stare. "And I'm planning on reminding you of what I said earlier. You aren't worth his guilt."

Her messages delivered, she turned the mare and headed back towards the river.

~

Roman could feel the hesitation, the nerves, after Kahlilia moved her hand from where she'd placed it so briefly. Carefully, as though she might shatter at the touch, he took her wrist and turned her hand over to expose her palm.

Blood.

The sick realization that he had made her bleed hurt him. But he wasn't as terrified as she was, because he knew that this was normal. He and Esmeralda had had many friendly arguments over the years as to which gender was really the worst off - and one of Ez's favourite retorts was "Well, for our first time we get blood and pain, and the boys get a story to tell their friends!"

"Are you all right?" he asked again, gently. He didn't want to insult her by assuring her that this was normal - it was likely she already knew that, and she was just nervous because it had never happened to her. But if she asked, or told him she was worried, he would tell her.  

[minus infinity]

Kahlilia flinched, just for a nervous second, when she felt Roman take her hand and examine it. She looked down at her feet. Yes, she knew it was normal to be bleeding - but for goodness sake, it hurt!
What would it be like getting up? She was still a tiny bit lightheaded. Would she wobble or fall? Bleeding from in between her legs was enough post-sex humiliation for now.
I think I am, in her first time actually speaking (rather than...) since her lusty 'that was amazing' Lily's voice was unsteady. Her rational mind still seemed so far away from her, and she honestly did not know what on earth to do. She was scrambled, scattered, and senseless. I- ...
There must have been a million different things she could have said, but her voice retreated back into hiding and Lily couldn't will herself to say anything else. Nothing made sense right now. There was nothing she felt she could do right now. Just... nothingness.
For a minute she wished her risky, more confident personality had stayed just long enough to tell her what to do now. But it had left when she...
Kahlilia heard hoofbeats. Nearby. Startled, she stirred, stumbled, and looked over at their two horses. Phoenix and Benvolio hadn't really moved, as far as she knew. The two stallions faced away from them, a little intolerant of what had just happened. Who was coming-
It had to be either Esmeralda or Xavier.
How long did they have until whoever it was arrived? Kahlilia only froze again, upper body now turned towards the sound she had heard. Their clothes were strewn, scattered in the frenzy of passion they had felt... her hand without the blood on it grasped Roman's. She was... they were...
Lily wanted to get up, to at least put some of her clothes back on. But she remained frozen, and in her new found fear her pain increased in intensity. Her hair still almost completely covered her face and her entire upper body was turned away from Roman so he couldn't see it, but Lily clenched her teeth and tried to stand. As it had when she tried to rock back and forth on her bed with her legs crossed, her plan failed and she fell backwards onto him again. What was wrong with her? Why was her coordination suddenly affected? It was then she realized that her ankles had crossed before she had tried to stand. She had always been a clumsy girl. A clumsy girl sans virginity and frozen in place on her lover's lap.

________________________________


Xavier sighed. Alright, he replied in a voice that even now sounded a little pained. He knew that he was going to have to get up, and he wasn't sure how he was going to go about that right now. Looking around, he spotted a tree. It stood maybe a foot or two away from him, a potential something he could hold on to for leverage. Maybe, just maybe. Would it work?

Xavier was looking at the tree and thinking about how exactly he would do this when Esmeralda left. Probably back to the ranch for lunchtime, not a big deal. Hopefully she wasn't off telling her brother that he was still curled up like a wounded animal and was more than vulnerable. With an irritated sigh, Xavier lifted his upper body and grasped the tree's broad trunk. Damned if he was going to stay here until Roman came back to finish off what he had started. Xavier began to pull his body up slowly, but not without several more explosions of pain and a few pecks from angry songbirds. He even fell down twice, which humiliated him even further - thank God Esmeralda had left, God only knew what she would say to him right now. And why did he even care about that? Dammit!
Finally, Xavier pulled himself up with a loud grunt. He was a little shaky, and he had to hold on to the tree to support his weight, but he was standing now. The injured leg seemed to limp a little, but he hoped it wasn't visible enough to appear during lunch. For all he knew the other man would smell his vulnerability and would take the opportunity. Well, it wasn't going to happen!
Dammit, Xavier actually wasn't even sure if he could walk right now. He had positioned himself now so that he leaned against the tree, a slightly more comfortable position than leaning forward hanging onto the tree. He clucked at Lady, who seemed to purposefully take her sweet time walking over, and mounted with a few grits of his teeth and curses. Finally, though, he nudged the mare with his good leg to go on the path that the numerous hoofbeats had created and find Hulk and Thumbelina. Damned if he was going to let him win a fight without doing anything about it...

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

Esmeralda slowed Sahara, who had smelled the males and was sending a friendly nicker - and a few showy prances - in the direction that she could smell them from. Ez couldn't see the pond, and was perfectly content to keep it that way. That no one was acknowledging her told its own story.

"Attention to all those who may or may not be over by the pond," she said, pitching her voice loud and high so that it would carry. "I am not coming any closer, so listen up. Lunch is in about half an hour, so if you could hurry your lazy selves up and come inside, that would be lovely. If you don't, we're not waiting, and if you don't get any that's too bad. Ciao."

Pleased with herself - her messages were fully delivered, and she wouldn't have to be emotionally scarred by seeing her sibling naked - she turned Sahara and headed back towards the ranch for food.

She and Roman could talk about the rest later.

Roman jumped a little, startled, when Kahlilia fell into his lap. But he had heard the hoofbeats too, and unlike her, his rational mind kicked in. After what he had done to Xavier, the other boy would want revenge. He didn't know how much time had passed.

His first instinct as always, however chauvinistic it was, was protect the girl.

He rose to his feet, carrying her with him. Walking over to the horses, he set her down there, safely behind the wall of Phoenix and Benvolio. Sorting out their scattered clothing took only a few minutes, and after tossing his on rather haphazardly and gathering hers, he brought them to her.

It was only then that he registered the woman shouting and realized that it was Esmeralda, not Xavier. He let out a breath of relief and stepped around to the other side, giving Kahlilia some privacy to dress.

He only hoped that what had passed between them wouldn't break under the weight of whatever happened once she had.  

[minus infinity]

Xavier hadn't been close enough to the pond to hear Esmeralda's voice as she called to the other two, but by the time he had gotten close enough to hear voices he heard that of Thumbelina's. He couldn't make out any words she was saying, but she sounded scared. Why she was scared, he didn't know or really care - he was more after targeting the other boy. And maybe if that meant terrorizing his girl, he could easily do just that. He wasn't too picky.
______________________________________________


Kahlilia dressed without a word, and only spoke when a sudden question in her mind frightened her. W-why ... what did ... that guy do earlier? Her voice sounded small and weak, and she wondered how it was possible for her demeanor to change in a matter of minutes, like a light turning on and off. Before they had come here to the pond, she had witnessed clear evidence that the two boys had fought. She was trying to think back on that for many reasons, reasons that made her mind spin around in spiraling circles and cause her to close her eyes for a moment and hesitate. What were they going to do now? Oh Roman, I ...
and just like it had before, her voice retreated back into hiding like a frightened animal. The girl briefly put the palm of her hand to her throat as though to check that her voice box still in fact remained, and hugged the man who had made her his. Some part of her deeply regretted permanently ruining their friendship and having sex, and yet there was still that entity in her that had no regrets doing what she had done. He had been her first, and wasn't that just what she had wanted before? When she had stripped for him, pounced on him that had been the only thing on her mind ...
Roman's shirt was still on Benvolio's saddle, along with Xavier's. Benvolio himself was still turned slightly away from the two riders, but curiosity took over when they had come closer and now he was looking at them questioningly. You ... were just wrestling, right? Right?
Kahlilia slowly released her grip on Roman and turned towards her horse. Without speaking again, she picked up Roman's shirt from the saddle and gave it to him before stepping away to mount Benvolio. She winced and gritted her teeth just then, though, because her legs were spread wide again (yes, again, how awkward that sounded) and the pain in between had gone from a scale of five to about an eleven. Ow, she whispered as she waited for the pain to go away at least a tiny bit before she started riding again. Xavier's shirt now sat in her lap, even though she wasn't sure what to do with it until --
Oh no. Oh no. Oh no. No, no, no. No.
Even though Kahlilia would have liked to make herself appear as small as possible when she saw Xavier, she actually straightened where she was on Benvolio's back. He was getting closer! Still on his horse, a pretty white mare, but getting closer. And ... and ...
And for goodness sake, did he have to stop right in front of her?
Lily held back tears of pure terror as he stared right at her for a moment before turning his cold silver gaze to Roman - she truly believed Xavier had the capability to kill--
Still got that post-sex glow, huh? Kind of like a pregnancy glow, right? Lily clapped her hand over her mouth. What was he saying to them, and what did he mean by ... ? She could hardly think. Fumbling and still trying her best to hold back tears, she held out Xavier's shirt for him in a lame peace offering of sorts. They were close enough for Xavier to take it, their horses practically touched - Benvolio seemed to be slightly uncomfortable with the contact, which Lily certainly couldn't blame him for. And the boy in front of her did take the shirt, but didn't put it on just yet. What was he going to do? The girl took her hand from her mouth, realizing that it had been the hand with the blood. Xavier was staring at her again now with a strange mix of curiosity and excitement from seeing blood, something like a hungry shark. Where'd you get that? Lily ignored his question, pulling up the bottom of her shirt to wipe her mouth - she could change her shirt when she got back to her cabin.
If she even got back to her cabin from here ...


( OOC / off subject, H (e) a v e n post will come over la fin del semana. ;3 )

 

[SilentShadowDreamer]

((OOC: I'll post after you post in Heaven, because I need to do some thinking about what Roman would do that doesn't involve killing him. >.> Yeah.))