The Fine Line of Heaven and Hell

SilkenPetal: Wow, really? *laughs* I love that manga; it’s really good, so I’ll take full blame for any likings to it. ^.^ I always find that so many stories are all about ROMANCE ROMANCE ROMANCE, and honestly, sometimes it gets old. O.o Addicted to Curry has other things to keep you interested as well as romance.. And funny ecchi panels. It makes everyone happy. Yay. So, back to what I had intended to say before I got distracted by my sad little manga addiction. *smile*

I reread my story from the beginning and was pretty surprised to find that I really kinda liked it. Usually I pick them apart and change a hundred or so things and end up weirding it up. “Weirding,” it’s a new word. Everyone should use it once every day. *chuckle* Okay, moving on.

Snidne: You made me blush like a school-girl with a crush. -_- That’s just not fair. You aren’t allowed to do that. *pout*

1000 HITS! That’s so awesome! Thirty-eight reviews; also awesome! Thanks for all your reading goodness! Although seriously, be careful or I’ll need two lovers, one for me and one for my ego. ^_~

Chapter 21-The Beginnings of Danger
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Two days; it had really been two days. Jerrick sat at the bar, watching Shuey while waiting for the customers to clear out. Later he really had a Lieutenant’s meeting, so he’d have to leave soon. He really wished everyone would leave already. Shuey acted as though nothing had happened. As he was thinking this, strumming his fingers idly, he let off a soft sigh, eyes noticing that hers flickered over towards him briefly. Quirking a brow, he shifted his arm slightly, perceiving the momentary glance his way again. She’d never paid attention to him before; or had he never noticed?

Testing his theory again, he straightened from his slightly slouched position, observing as she looked at him for a just a bit longer than before, blue eye gazing at him steadily for a few seconds before turning away to tend to another patron of the bar. Ten more minutes and the bar would close. His eyes narrowed as she caught her bottom lip with her teeth, nibbling lightly on it as she thought about something before moving to stock the small shelf behind the counter. It was all the demon could do not to jump over the damn bar.

It was like time slowed down, simply because he wanted to speak with her about it. He had to ask; he had to. If he didn’t, he’d wonder if it had just been a one-time thing, and he might loose his chance with her by wasting so much time thinking it over. He was eager and anxious at the same time; he wasn’t sure how to feel at that moment. Five more minutes.

One customer got a drink while she still could, long, flowing white hair draping over curvy thighs as she moved. Not that he noticed. All he saw of the woman was a white blur in the corner of his eye.

One more fucking minute.

Finally, as the last guest ambled out, leaving his tumbler on the table, Shuey focused on him completely. “What is it?” she asked bluntly, startling Jerrick out of his focused staring. A small smile flitted across his face as her eyes followed his hand as he swept the bangs from his brow. He stood, leaning slightly over the counter she had just cleaned, earning a half-hearted glare from her.

“I need to know something. What happened the other day… Was it just a one-time deal, or something else? Did this,” he said, one finger waving silently between them as Shuey’s brow twitched upwards, “end right there?” Her brow faltered immediately, furrowing in concentration as she concentrated on the question. It was cute, but he knew if he told her that, she’d be pissed off…Right? What did he really know about the Halfling, anyway?

“..I don’t know,” she stated flatly, her confusion fairly readable once one looked. How would she know? What came next in this type of relationship? She was lost when it came to this type of thing. Hurt flitted across his features, making her wince internally. She’d hurt him by admitting she didn’t understand. It’s not like she didn’t like kissing him; quite the opposite, really. She wanted to remedy the pain in his eyes, but she wasn’t sure how; she didn’t comprehend it. “Where does it go?” she asked at length, making grey eyes widen. After a moment of that surprised, almost astonished look, Jerrick grinned alarmingly.

“I almost forgot how different you were from other people,” he murmured softly, the fingers of one hand splaying atop the marbled surface of the bar as his head tilted to the slight just a tad. “Come here,” was the light command, even that making her eyes narrow dangerously as she stood there stubbornly. After a minute, she frowned, not sure she liked the way that smile affected her. Thinking about it, she figured he’d just go to her if she didn’t comply, so she moved forward, one hand brushing a bottle behind the small divider.

The hand at his side moved to cup her face as he pulled her further towards him, his lips a breath away from hers. Pianist fingers brushed away russet hair, even as her eyes never strayed away from his face, thought they flickered briefly to his mouth before returning to his eyes. It seemed she was waiting for his move…As if drawing her close wasn’t enough of a hint. He didn’t care what Leon said, he was nowhere near as dense as Shuey.

A frown tugged at the corners of her mouth; what was he trying to say? She resisted the urge to lean closer, if only to feel the feeling from before. As if sensing what she wanted, he filled that minute space, pressing his lips to hers firmly, sending shudders through her as his teeth grazed her lip. Without thought, her lips parted at the contact, leaving her to wonder about it for the barest amount of time before her thoughts bounced along the walls of her brain as his tongue slipped in. This kiss was almost forceful, as if answering an unasked question or laying a claim. He moved away, lips still brushing against hers as he spoke, “You like it, right?”

Somehow, she didn’t think he wanted a verbal answer. Of course she liked it; did he think she’d really let him do it again if she hadn’t? Instead of saying anything, Shuey merely scoffed before returning him with his own kiss, jumping slightly when his hand slid into her hair and drug her even closer. The counter dug into her stomach, leaving an uncomfortable tingle there; or was it really the countertop? She wasn’t sure.

Her fingers clung to the bar as if it were a lifeline, trying to keep just enough away from the structure before her to breath. If the moron had thought to come behind the barricade first, she would have been able to feel that indescribable warmth that radiated from him. He moved away, endless eyes staring at her for who-knew how long before he gave her a startling smile. That smile made something move in her gut, almost giving her a nauseous feeling. “Come over here,” he said, pointing over the counter, even as she rolled her eyes at him and crossed her arms. She’d already moved once.

That almost frightening grin came back as he moved swiftly around the small wall between them, slowing down the closer he got to her. An eerie form of anticipation swam around in what she was guessing was her rib cage with every step. Her cheeks felt too warm and her body felt like it had just been shocked with electricity. One hand gripped her thigh, jerking her forward and making her stumble against him. His thumb circled before pressing into a spot that made her eyes go wide, her lips parting in a gasp.

Jerrick smirked, leaning in to kiss her again, his free hand sliding down her arm before bringing it around his shoulder. His fingers left tingles in their wake as they skimmed back up, brushing along her shoulder before dancing the length of her spine. His tongue flicked against hers, earning him a small noise held in the back of Shuey’s throat. Her fingers moved leisurely, burying themselves in inky hair and tugging at the strands and drawing a low moan from him. The hand on her hip tightened with the strain of trying to refrain from starting more than she could handle.

She was running out of air, so she gripped his jacket tightly, hoping he’d understand. She couldn’t keep up with him, no matter how hard she tried. Normally she was a quick learner, but all she seemed to be able to do was mimic everything he did. She seemed to have less of an affect on him as he had on her. It irritated her not to have such an impact on him. It was unfair. It left her vulnerable to him and gave him an advantage that, quite frankly, terrified her. He released her mouth, allowing her to pant for air, her face flushed as her brow furrowed. Why was it so easy for him? His lips ran along her neck, making her eyes flutter closed.

Those frail-looking fingers were twined in Jerrick’s hair, pulling at it just the way he liked it; it was really distracting. Now they curled into themselves, only tugging at the strands when he moved himself. Even that had his blood running south. He nipped lightly at her neck, noting how her head automatically moved to the side to give him room. Did she even notice she did that? Licking part of the scar on her neck, she gasped loudly, fingers tightening in both his hair and his suit. Before he realized it, he growled and bit down at her neck harshly.

She cried out at the action, leaving him to moan deeply at just the sound. Apparently, she really liked it when she was bitten. Her cheeks were red, her eyes closed, and her hands refused to budge. The hand on her hip pulled them flush together, his cock pressing against that lithe body insistently. His mouth moved lower, his hand pushing aside both trench and shirt to suck at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Nipping and lapping at the spot resulted in a small red mark that would mar that beautiful pale skin for days. Every time she stripped, she’d be reminded of him. “…Shuey,” he murmured, looking up to find slightly dilated different eyes gazing back. He kissed her jaw, his fingers edging along the hem of her shirt before moving to grip the hand in his jacket.

She seemed to get the idea, hand releasing the clothing immediately and dropping to the side. She looked confused for a minute, but waited for him to speak, regardless. “..I want you,” he whispered to her ear, nipping the lobe and making her pull at his hair again. He really, really loved that. The hand that had fallen moved to take hold of his clothes again, but seemed to think better of it and slumped instead. Grinning against her cheek as he pressed a kiss to it, he gripped the limb and squeezed it lightly.

Shuey was confused, her brain struggling to move as it searched for a meaning to his words. His hand held hers, a warm feeling forming in her stomach, even as it let go in favor of slipping under her shirt to trace unknown patterns. Everywhere he touched sent tingles or shudders through her in rapid succession; her body couldn’t handle it. The knuckles of his other hand ran along her side, fingers skimming her thigh before scraping lightly against the side of her ribs. It almost made her squirm. She stood in his arms, a trembling mess as he just touched her; that was all. She didn’t even know what to do.

Just as her hand began to fiddle with the edge of his suit jacket, a cough made her jump so suddenly Jerrick’s ministrations were thwarted, his teeth clamping down as her shoulder moved up too quickly. “Unnn,” she moaned, even as Leon smirked at her, his arms crossing as he leaned against the doorway. The demon’s mouth released her flesh, his head dropping on her shoulder as an exasperated sigh escaped him.

“Damn it, Leon…” he swore, glaring at his friend as much as he could from his position. “What?” he snapped, head lifting from it’s comfortable perch to glower with more effect. The angel only chuckled, nodding towards Shuey, who had frozen to the spot, a blush spread across her cheeks. Jerrick gaped at it before grinning slantedly. “…Sorry,” he muttered, not at all apologetic if one judged by his tone. She only scowled, pulling away immediately and berating herself for missing the warmth that rushed away from her at the action.

“I believe you have a meeting to get to. You’d be in deep shit if you didn’t go…regardless of what caused your absence,” he said with a leer at Shuey, who scowled in return. It really wasn’t until they both left that she realized what had just happened. Dual eyes widened, an angry red blush flooding her face as she thought it over. To top it off, she felt a strange ache she couldn’t particularly explain. It was like her entire being, minus her brain of course, longed for the demon to come back and finish what they’d started. But really, what had they started?

It seemed, to Shuey at least, that this was the beginning of something very dangerous for her; it may not be worth the trouble it was to get it. Then again, she wasn’t sure what it was she was getting herself into, anyway. It was something she couldn’t understand; didn’t know.

In the end, she merely decided to go up to the rooftop and practice what she’d learned with the brother-like pair she was so accustomed to. The mist at her feet danced along her legs as she walked, totally disregarding any work that may not be done in the process. Something inside Shuey seemed to be settled; calmer now than it was once before. She wasn’t sure whether she should be alarmed by that or not, so she tried not to think about it too much. After tomorrow, she was going to the bar with Clara again, so maybe she could relax a bit then.

With a sigh, she left the bar completely, only glancing briefly at the stairway that lead to Jerrick’s quarters before trekking up the other towards the roof.

Yes, she should definitely be more cautious around the demon.

A/N: Erm….No comment, really. I had this chapter half done at one point, but decided I didn’t like it much and changed it. Honestly, this one isn’t a whole lot better than the original one (even though they’re seriously worlds apart content-wise).

No, I do have a comment. I was reading a story, and the story was pretty good. Everyone’s seen Speed Racer, right? The cartoon, not the upcoming movie (which I don’t particularly look forward to. I think normal speech just ruins the interest I had in it.) Well, everyone, even if they haven’t watched the show, knows Speed Racer’s characters talk REALLY fast. They SPEED through everything. Well, this story, while good, had major grammar errors (look who’s talking) and sped through EVERYTHING; JUST LIKE SPEED RACER. I laughed; I couldn’t help it. I never even finished the fourth chapter, I was laughing so hard. BUT, it was an interesting story, but I couldn’t read it. It was because of the Speed Racer-ness. *laughs*

Okay, enough yapping. Please tell me what you like and what you don’t like about this chapter (or the whole story). Criticism helps me better both this story and future stories I may have. ^.^

THANKS!

Calemzoe- Thanks for reading! I’m glad you’ve enjoyed it so far, and I hope you keep liking it.