Andromeda Rising Chapter 1B
Apr. 27th, 2008 01:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
amberfocus
Chapter 1B: Bittersweet
“She’s under my protection. I’m sure you can find a suitable dance partner elsewhere.” The boy backed off further at the man’s steely tone. He shot one more dark, reluctant glance at Andromeda before moving away.
The man behind her dropped his hand from her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked. She turned around prepared to tell the man that she had been perfectly capable of taking care of herself, though truthfully at the moment all thought of self-defense techniques had fled her mind, but all that came out was silence, her mouth forming a surprised little ‘o’ as she looked at him.
The man standing in front of her was absolutely perfect. It should be illegal to be that gorgeous. Really it should. From the dimples created by his smile, to the cleft in his chin, to the gorgeous cheekbones and thick dark hair, he was incredible. But it was the eyes, the gorgeous sapphire eyes twinkling down at her in amusement that really turned her stomach right over. In a good way this time.
“Yes,” she managed nearly squeaking. Oh, that wouldn’t do at all. She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m fine,” she repeated in a firm, self-assured voice. “But thank you. I appreciate the rescue.”
He escorted her back to the bar. “Let me get you a fresh drink,” he said. “You left yours unattended. Holy’s usually pretty safe, but sometimes when his royalness is here with his friends, well…things have been known to happen. What were you drinking?”
“Just Rusak,” she told him.
“Virgin?” She blushed before she realized that he was asking about the drink, not her own personal status. She hoped he didn’t discern how flustered she was; she really shouldn’t even be sitting with the man. It was more than obvious he was far too old for her and yet she trusted him immediately. And wanting him had nothing to do with it. At all. Much.
“Yep,” she said hastily when she realized he was still waiting for her answer. “Alcohol doesn’t affect me. My metabolism runs too fast.”
“Ah, so you’re not human then?” he asked curiously.
“My dad is, and Mum’s part,” she said. “It’s the other part that metabolizes alcohol, though.”
The man nodded. “Anna,” he called out to the bartender. “Can I get a fresh virgin Rusak for the lady? And I’ll take a loaded one.”
The bartender waved at him in acknowledgement and said, “I’m Jack, by the way. Jack Harkness.”
“Andromeda Harper,” she returned reaching out and shaking the hand he offered. When they clasped she felt a little surge of electricity shoot up her arm. When she looked up into his eyes she could see by his startled expression that he'd felt it, too. Carefully she disengaged her hand from his.
“So tell me, Andromeda Harper," he drawled. "Just how old are you?” He was looking at her with keen interest now and though she knew better, knew that even thinking about this man in any kind of romantic capacity was wrong, she couldn’t help herself. She lied.
“I’m eighteen,” she told him and smiled at the look of relief that crossed his face. The bartender set down their drinks in front of them.
“I’ve got a booth over there,” he said. “Care to join me?”
Andromeda hesitated for all of half a second, jumping up off the barstool so quickly that Jack chuckled. She picked up her drink and followed him over to the booth. She sat down across from him and immediately started playing with her straw.
“So where’s your boyfriend tonight?” Jack asked her.
“My boyfriend?” she asked confused.
“Tall kid, mocha skin, blond hair, brown eyes, moves like a Greek Adonis?” Jack explained. “I’ve seen you in here with him nearly every night this week.”
“Oh, you mean Marsden,” she laughed. “Mars is just my cousin. We just both really like dancing and since there was a family meet up this week, we had the chance.” She didn’t let it show on her face how excited she was that the man had been watching her all week. He was obviously interested. Not that that was good thing. It was a bad idea. A very bad idea. She smiled.
“Is it wrong of me to be happy he’s not your boyfriend?” Jack asked with a flirtatious grin.
Yes, it was, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She really ought to ask him his age. He'd asked hers, so he'd obviously been a bit worried about impropriety. She ought to be, too. Ought to be, but wasn't. He looked late twenties to early thirties if he was a full human. But really…she didn’t want to know his age. If she knew his age, maybe she’d have to stop considering what it would be like to kiss him. She shrugged instead of giving him a real answer, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he pursued.
“Nope.” She popped the P, a habit she’d picked up from her grandfather.
"Girlfriend?" he asked. She giggled and shook her head no. “You’ve got the loveliest smile I’ve ever seen,” he told her.
He certainly wasn’t going to make this easy for her. “Outside the mirror, you mean?” She couldn’t believe how forward and flirty she was being, but a man who looked like that had to know he looked like that, didn’t he?
Jack threw his head back and laughed. “I like you, Andromeda Harper.”
Her amber eyes sparkled as they rose to meet his. She tossed her blond hair back over her shoulder and took a drink. As his hand reached out to cover hers again, she felt a slow flush creep across her skin. His mere touch heated her blood. Hastily she gulped down the rest of her juice and looked anywhere but at the man who was now stroking the back of her hand in a slow steady rhythm that was staring to drive her mad.
When she was done she set her glass down unsteadily and it started to fall. Jack’s free hand shot out and caught it before it could shatter. “You have fast hands,” she managed then blushed again at the innuendo. She ordered herself to stop blushing, but her face wasn’t listening.
He grinned at her. “You have no idea. Want to dance?”
She nodded shyly at him, although every instinct in her body was telling her to run. Well, except the ones that were telling her to wrap herself around the man in front of her and hang on for the ride of her life, but she wasn’t going to listen to those ones. Was she? He led her out onto the dance floor and once he began to move all shyness was forgotten.
He was amazing and she knew a thing or two about dancing herself. Before long the club was boiling with the chemistry radiating off the gyrating pair. In the dances it was possible to touch in ways that she wouldn’t normally have done with a complete stranger. She had never, ever felt such rampant sensations flowing through her body before.
This was crazy and she knew she had to put an end to it, but each time a new song started she found herself still in his arms or close enough depending on the rhythm or speed of the music. She didn’t want the night to ever end.
She was shocked when they closed down the club. She checked her watch. “I have to be in the space port in two hours,” she told him. “It was lovely dancing with you. Thanks.”
“Wait,” he said. “Are you going off world?”
“Yeah. I’m taking the Orion Cutlass to...well, Orion.”
“Any particular reason you chose that destination?” he asked.
“Not really. Just wanted to see the universe.”
“You want to see it by yourself?” he asked.
“That was the plan,” she told him.
“Want some company?” he wanted to know. “I’m on leave for the next six months with nothing to do.”
“You want to come with me?” she asked in surprise.
“Why not? You’re fun. You’re hot. And I want to know you better. If you walk out of here tonight I may never see you again and that would be a tragedy,” Jack said. “I’d just have to book passage for myself and my ship.”
“You have a ship?”
Jack nodded. “It’s not big; it’ll certainly fit on a Megaliner. But it’s mine.” He sounded proud of it, kind of like her granddad when he talked about his TARDIS. “So what do you say, Andromeda? Want to explore the universe together?”
She bit her lip and looked up at him, suddenly shy again. “No strings, sweetheart,” he said. “Not unless you want them.”
Relief washed over her. “Then yeah. I think I’d like that a lot.” He held his hand out to her and she took it and together they made their way to the Deneb 8 space port.
Ch. 2: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/72189.html
The man behind her dropped his hand from her shoulder. “You okay?” he asked. She turned around prepared to tell the man that she had been perfectly capable of taking care of herself, though truthfully at the moment all thought of self-defense techniques had fled her mind, but all that came out was silence, her mouth forming a surprised little ‘o’ as she looked at him.
The man standing in front of her was absolutely perfect. It should be illegal to be that gorgeous. Really it should. From the dimples created by his smile, to the cleft in his chin, to the gorgeous cheekbones and thick dark hair, he was incredible. But it was the eyes, the gorgeous sapphire eyes twinkling down at her in amusement that really turned her stomach right over. In a good way this time.
“Yes,” she managed nearly squeaking. Oh, that wouldn’t do at all. She cleared her throat. “Yes, I’m fine,” she repeated in a firm, self-assured voice. “But thank you. I appreciate the rescue.”
He escorted her back to the bar. “Let me get you a fresh drink,” he said. “You left yours unattended. Holy’s usually pretty safe, but sometimes when his royalness is here with his friends, well…things have been known to happen. What were you drinking?”
“Just Rusak,” she told him.
“Virgin?” She blushed before she realized that he was asking about the drink, not her own personal status. She hoped he didn’t discern how flustered she was; she really shouldn’t even be sitting with the man. It was more than obvious he was far too old for her and yet she trusted him immediately. And wanting him had nothing to do with it. At all. Much.
“Yep,” she said hastily when she realized he was still waiting for her answer. “Alcohol doesn’t affect me. My metabolism runs too fast.”
“Ah, so you’re not human then?” he asked curiously.
“My dad is, and Mum’s part,” she said. “It’s the other part that metabolizes alcohol, though.”
The man nodded. “Anna,” he called out to the bartender. “Can I get a fresh virgin Rusak for the lady? And I’ll take a loaded one.”
The bartender waved at him in acknowledgement and said, “I’m Jack, by the way. Jack Harkness.”
“Andromeda Harper,” she returned reaching out and shaking the hand he offered. When they clasped she felt a little surge of electricity shoot up her arm. When she looked up into his eyes she could see by his startled expression that he'd felt it, too. Carefully she disengaged her hand from his.
“So tell me, Andromeda Harper," he drawled. "Just how old are you?” He was looking at her with keen interest now and though she knew better, knew that even thinking about this man in any kind of romantic capacity was wrong, she couldn’t help herself. She lied.
“I’m eighteen,” she told him and smiled at the look of relief that crossed his face. The bartender set down their drinks in front of them.
“I’ve got a booth over there,” he said. “Care to join me?”
Andromeda hesitated for all of half a second, jumping up off the barstool so quickly that Jack chuckled. She picked up her drink and followed him over to the booth. She sat down across from him and immediately started playing with her straw.
“So where’s your boyfriend tonight?” Jack asked her.
“My boyfriend?” she asked confused.
“Tall kid, mocha skin, blond hair, brown eyes, moves like a Greek Adonis?” Jack explained. “I’ve seen you in here with him nearly every night this week.”
“Oh, you mean Marsden,” she laughed. “Mars is just my cousin. We just both really like dancing and since there was a family meet up this week, we had the chance.” She didn’t let it show on her face how excited she was that the man had been watching her all week. He was obviously interested. Not that that was good thing. It was a bad idea. A very bad idea. She smiled.
“Is it wrong of me to be happy he’s not your boyfriend?” Jack asked with a flirtatious grin.
Yes, it was, but she wasn’t going to tell him that. She really ought to ask him his age. He'd asked hers, so he'd obviously been a bit worried about impropriety. She ought to be, too. Ought to be, but wasn't. He looked late twenties to early thirties if he was a full human. But really…she didn’t want to know his age. If she knew his age, maybe she’d have to stop considering what it would be like to kiss him. She shrugged instead of giving him a real answer, but she couldn’t keep the smile from her face.
“Do you have a boyfriend?” he pursued.
“Nope.” She popped the P, a habit she’d picked up from her grandfather.
"Girlfriend?" he asked. She giggled and shook her head no. “You’ve got the loveliest smile I’ve ever seen,” he told her.
He certainly wasn’t going to make this easy for her. “Outside the mirror, you mean?” She couldn’t believe how forward and flirty she was being, but a man who looked like that had to know he looked like that, didn’t he?
Jack threw his head back and laughed. “I like you, Andromeda Harper.”
Her amber eyes sparkled as they rose to meet his. She tossed her blond hair back over her shoulder and took a drink. As his hand reached out to cover hers again, she felt a slow flush creep across her skin. His mere touch heated her blood. Hastily she gulped down the rest of her juice and looked anywhere but at the man who was now stroking the back of her hand in a slow steady rhythm that was staring to drive her mad.
When she was done she set her glass down unsteadily and it started to fall. Jack’s free hand shot out and caught it before it could shatter. “You have fast hands,” she managed then blushed again at the innuendo. She ordered herself to stop blushing, but her face wasn’t listening.
He grinned at her. “You have no idea. Want to dance?”
She nodded shyly at him, although every instinct in her body was telling her to run. Well, except the ones that were telling her to wrap herself around the man in front of her and hang on for the ride of her life, but she wasn’t going to listen to those ones. Was she? He led her out onto the dance floor and once he began to move all shyness was forgotten.
He was amazing and she knew a thing or two about dancing herself. Before long the club was boiling with the chemistry radiating off the gyrating pair. In the dances it was possible to touch in ways that she wouldn’t normally have done with a complete stranger. She had never, ever felt such rampant sensations flowing through her body before.
This was crazy and she knew she had to put an end to it, but each time a new song started she found herself still in his arms or close enough depending on the rhythm or speed of the music. She didn’t want the night to ever end.
She was shocked when they closed down the club. She checked her watch. “I have to be in the space port in two hours,” she told him. “It was lovely dancing with you. Thanks.”
“Wait,” he said. “Are you going off world?”
“Yeah. I’m taking the Orion Cutlass to...well, Orion.”
“Any particular reason you chose that destination?” he asked.
“Not really. Just wanted to see the universe.”
“You want to see it by yourself?” he asked.
“That was the plan,” she told him.
“Want some company?” he wanted to know. “I’m on leave for the next six months with nothing to do.”
“You want to come with me?” she asked in surprise.
“Why not? You’re fun. You’re hot. And I want to know you better. If you walk out of here tonight I may never see you again and that would be a tragedy,” Jack said. “I’d just have to book passage for myself and my ship.”
“You have a ship?”
Jack nodded. “It’s not big; it’ll certainly fit on a Megaliner. But it’s mine.” He sounded proud of it, kind of like her granddad when he talked about his TARDIS. “So what do you say, Andromeda? Want to explore the universe together?”
She bit her lip and looked up at him, suddenly shy again. “No strings, sweetheart,” he said. “Not unless you want them.”
Relief washed over her. “Then yeah. I think I’d like that a lot.” He held his hand out to her and she took it and together they made their way to the Deneb 8 space port.
Ch. 2: http://amberfocus.livejournal.com/72189.html
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Date: 2008-04-27 06:10 pm (UTC)Does another, *Happy to Leave a Comment First Again, Dance*