medals | !INBOX // EUDIO.

[It's a slither of honesty she's not fully expecting. Though, she hadn't been sure what to expect at all from after telling him this. She spent the first few weeks in Eudio drilling it into herself that falling for anyone was a no-no. She had naively assumed it wouldn't be possible; Gary had been a fresh wound after all. But here she is; Petre says he wants her and she wants to let him. More than that, she wants him too. It frightens her how much; how much she's willingly allowed herself to overlook for him.

She leans into his touch, quiet as a mouse. She watches him carefully and feels something fierce in her chest, close to possesive. It's new; she'd been jealous of Gary's ex because she'd been the love of his life. Here, she knows there's no point in getting jealous; there's a city full of people to fuck. Petre flirts with almost everybody. But it's the emotional connection; she doesn't want to share it.

Suddenly this feels like such a huge conversation. ] I want you, too.

[It feels like a weight off her chest, too. She reaches out to place a hand against his jaw, fingers gently caressing. ] You can have me, stupid.

[There's no need to waste any more time with words, is there. He knows what she means now, and she knows what he means. He can have her, and he will. With a smile he leans in, presses his lips to hers, careful not to disturb the peaceful and small Lady Di. It's a kiss that, while heartfelt, does not quite make it to hungry, but Petre still finds himself a little breathless when he stops, resting his forehead against hers.]

You know I can't do relationships. Not like they're supposed to be. Right?

I know. [Jem knows; or rather, she suspected. She's smiling too, so maybe she's alright with that. At the back of her mind is Ariadne and how fucked up about Johnny she'd been. They need to keep talking, she knows, to avoid ending up like that. But for just a moment she wants to indulge in the quiet intimacy of his forehead against her own and the way she feels embarrassingly pleased. ]

We don't have to be monogamous. We don't have to be anything. I just - [and she feels a little breathless too, having it out in the open. ] I just felt like I was gonna burst.

I know. What you meant.

[Having to get it out of her chest. He's relieved when she says it doesn't have to be monogamous, and realizes he doesn't quite want it to be nothing, either.]

You're the one who matters the most here. That's something, right?

[Who knew those words would ever come out of Petre's mouth.]

[This is all so new to her, too. Talking this out, being plain and clear. Jem's last relationship had been rash and not thought out. It had been attraction and admiration; desperation to feel good about herself. About anything. She had spoken to Gary about all the things that kept her up at night and never once about them. Every bit of this is mostly winging it.

She'd said something similar to Kieren; of course, she'd been drunk as hell, but she'd meant it. Do you mind if you're not my favourite person in this city? ]

Yeah. You're the one I think about all the time. [Her chest feels like it's about to burst again, with the ferocity of how much she wants him. So she kisses him, her nose nudging against his, her hands moving, fingers sliding through the short hairs at his nape. ]

[There isn't a single drop of hesitation when he kisses her back, leaning into her, still careful about the small creature on her lap. He's exceptionally mindful about that kitten, his Lady Di, now Jem's, who apparently was the key to opening up the one last door between them.

He's a little breathless when he lets her go, lids lowered, eyes down and finding their way back up to hers.]

You're fucking amazing, Jem. It had to be you.

[So Petre smiles, like he's relieved to have gotten that out, too. He'll be confused as fuck once he steps out of here and sobers up from whatever it is he's feeling - love is too ridiculous for a demon to even consider it - but leaving isn't so much as an option right now.]

[It's not love, but it could be. Jem's struck with how easily it could be and she's terrified of that. She's never been in love before. She's never stopped to imagine what it would feel like. Just this is almost overwhelming.

Whatever this is, it's reciprocated as much as Petre can and that's - she'd been expecting the opposite, really. She's happy, she realises very belatedly. She's the happiest she's been in a very long time and it's in part because of the demon in front of her.

She glances down at the curled up bundle in her lap, smiling. She scratches atop her head and then carefully places a cushion onto the coffee table and then gentle picks Lady Di up and puts her onto it. It's not as warm as her lap, but it's softer and bigger for her to stretch
out on. Then, all her attention is back on Petre.]

So - you wanna do this?

[This. Christ. ]

Yeah.

[The answer comes without hesitation, quietly searching her features with his eyes. Like he's seeing her under a new light, like he's trying to find something he's never seen before. Maybe it's the way she looks at him, how he never really thought about it. He can see it now, of course. She likes him, could love him, and he feels whatever a demon's equivalent of it could be.

(Never love. Only the desire to possess, to consume. One day it will hurt her, but Petre doesn't think about it. He doesn't see that.)

His hand brushes on her cheek, clearing a strand of hair.]

No one else means the same.

[Obviously there will be no reference to a monogamous relationship, as he pointed out before. He needs to be with people all the time, different people who offer him different things. But only Jem can give him this.]

Us seeing other people, but always coming back to each other. Can you promise you'll always come back to me?

[Envy comes too easily. It's true.]

[The way his eyes are searching over her features, her own watch him intently. Her own hands rest restlessly between them, thumbs idly fumbling over one another. No one else means the same. It has her stomach in knots all over again, her breath catching in her throat.

It's enough. She nods, a slow bob of her head while she tries to keep her smile small instead of bursting into a grin. ]

Yeah. I'll always come back. [She can't imagine not being with him at all. Maybe that ought to frighten her.

There should be boundaries, she thinks. Ariadne had been a clear example of that. But which ones to set? Which ones to admit to? She's easily made jealous, too, even if she'll deny it. ] I dunno if - we should talk about what we're allowed to do. Ariadne didn't make it clear with Johnny and now she's miserable.

[She doesn't pause to think if Petre knows them. Doesn't matter. ] I really don't care if you sleep with the whole city, is what I mean. But I want stuff to be ours. [the lingerie. she's talking about the lingerie. ]

Okay. [There's no hesitation in following her line of thought, head tilting only slightly.] What's ours? Tell me everything.

[It's almost funny how not five minutes ago she could have thought of a hundred things and now that she's been asked, she pulls up a blank. She doesn't really have to feign consideration while she thinks long and hard. She doesn't want to be unreasonable, after all. ]

- The underwear; no one else gets to see that. [Mine, mine, mine is what she's thinking. There's one notable exception, but even at that, she'd rather be there to share the view. But: she's started small. ]

[And where he'd been serious before, Petre actually gives her a grin. A soft one, eyes narrowing slightly, cupping her face to plant a chaste but lingering kiss. He can't get over how much she liked that. How much he loves that she did.]

It's all yours.

Okay. Good.

[She gives his mouth a quick peck; a silent thank you. Quietly, she marvels at how this is this first time they've gone this long without descending into full on making out. Restraint is, apparently, possible with the right distraction.

But: point two. ] Are we dating other people? Or just sleeping with them?

Huh.

[Good question.]

No clue. What constitutes as 'dating'?

Uh - I suppose if you take someone on more than one date? Or make a big deal out of if.

[she's really calm, but don't be fooled: if he makes a big deal out of a date with someone else, the incredible sulk will be released.]

Well. There are people I see pretty often. But we're not like - not like you and me. [pause.] I don't have to stop seeing them, do I?

[Maybe she looks a little visibly relieved at that. Not like you and me is apparently enough. ] Course not.

Okay.

[Visibly relieved right back at you.]

... You got other people too, right?

Yeah, course.

[oh but] Probably not as many as you.

[he adjusts his position.]

Who are they? I know 'em?

[She's lost Alex and Verity, now. None of whom she'd slept with, but Verity she'd kissed and Alex had put up with her drunken rambling. It's sort of weird to compare with Petre, who probably doesn't feel weird at all about diving right into bed with someone. ]

Probably not. There was Verity, before she left. The others are just - dates, I suppose. Raven's funny. Bellamy's a nerd, but he's lovely.

['probably']

So you just have lovely people in your life. I'm the token bad boy, am I?

[boy, she ain't keeping tabs on you. ]

No one else is actual Demon.

They better not be. I don't like competition.

[he is however actual cannibal]

[awwwh Petre]

That's where you're crossing the line. Alright then.

!INBOX // EUDIO.

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