slayers_desire | kidnapped by Demons: the rescue

Clark may not ask now, or soon, or even ever. But the more he sees her reactions, the better he feels about it. And the less he feels he needs to ask.

He smiles at her gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without you."

Then he frowns a little as the events of the day finally start catching up with him. "I PINpointed out of a crowded bar. Did I just put James in any danger?" The Pockla demon was so helpful, so instrumental to saving her, and it would be a poor repayment of his assistance if being taken out of the bar like that leads to hostilities against him. And Clark hasn't even remembered to thank him yet. Or take him back.

"We worked well as a team." April settles with that. It had both been her and him. And she feels that they could face so much more in the same way.

"Oh no, I don't think so. Demons have a habit of teleporting away all the time," April reassured him. "And few demons would hurt a Pockla. Not with their purpose in the demon world."

Clark's body is still winding down from all the tension, soothed by having her, whole and healthy, in his arms. And he relaxes a little more when she tells him he didn't do wrong. "Good. I think I interrupted his lunch though." Something he'd barely paid attention to at the time. And now he feels that he can trust him for sure, because why else would he being unhesitating to drop his meal and come when called?

And as he begins to replay the events of the last hour or two, he's becoming more aware that he's still smeared with traces of her blood, dried and brown on his arms, still reddish and damp on his blue shirt. And he doesn't know where his jacket's disappeared to. Not that he's worried; it's beyond saving and there's nothing to do but burn it anyway.

"How are you feeling?" Her injuries may be healed, but he knows it will take time for her to recover. And anything else he can do to help her is welcome after his long forced idleness.

"Physically I am fine." April is still a little amazed at how quickly James worked. She feels no strain on her body.
But notes the blood on his shirt. "Is that mine?"

"Mentally... I keep replaying everything. Trying to figure out what I could have done differently. And why me... why did he take me."

"Yes." It's not as much as was on her, or as much as is now forever soaked into his jacket, but there's still a good deal of it. "You... there was a lot."

He hugs her just a little tighter, presses a kiss to her forehead, glad that this time she doesn't taste of sweat and blood, just April. Wishes he could say something to take her doubts and fears away. "I don't know. But he isn't going to hurt you ever again. I promise you that." His one regret is that he didn't spend more time beating the demon before knocking him unconscious. He didn't suffer nearly enough to satisfy the darker side of Clark, but that satisfaction would have ended only with death.

"And physically?"

"You should take off the shirt. The Lister could clean it for you. They promised to return my clothing to me too." Not that she minds the white dress she is wearing, but it fits a little snugly in some places.

"It might take me a while to replenish my enhanced abilities. I doubt I could walk even right now. It has just been... days since I ate. The blood helped. But..." April sighs. "I still feel weak."

"I don't know if this is coming out. I may have to just burn it." He doesn't sound too upset about it. Destruction of his clothing is something that he doesn't blink twice at anymore, it happens so often. He does figure he should probably wash his arms and hands, at least. But he's reluctant to let go of her long enough to go do that. Even though he knows that she's safe, that no one remains in the castle who wants to harm her.

"Do you need more blood? I'm sure they could get some more, if you need it. They seem eager to help." And he appreciates them for it even more all the while.

"A little more would help." She softly admits. The embarrassment of her vampiric nature making her fidget slightly.

Clark pretends not to notice her fidgeting. If he treats it as normal, accepts it as normal, maybe she'll be more comfortable about that side of her, or of showing it to him. He loves her for all of her, not just the bits that aren't gross. He needs sun. She needs blood. It's as simple as that.

He eases away from her, getting up to go look for the nearest Lister demon. And somewhere to wash up. But before he goes, he kisses her, as if trying to reassure her once more. "I'll be right back."

As Clark eases away from her, April keeps a lingering touch on him. And the kiss protects her tears from falling quickly.

"I know you will." Slowly she is getting used to feeding in front of him. His needing the sun is a little different than her requiring blood. Its messy. And most people are uncomfortable about it. But she has noted Clark has not been reacting in grossness when she does it.

So soon after getting her back, seeing her awake and okay, it's hard to walk away from her. Even knowing that she's safe and protected, and that his senses are still trained on the room, still keeping watch over her.

He seeks out the nearest Lister, relaying April's need for nourishment and asking that someone stay in the room with her, keeping her company until he can return. And then he finds somewhere to wash the blood from his arms, his hands, his chest and abdomen where it soaked through his shirt. He moves quickly, efficiently, not wanting to be away from her side longer than necessary.

When he returns, the Lister had provided April with another bag of blood, and had laid out a cotton shirt on the bed for Clark to wear.

Once they are alone again, April feeds from her blood and finds further strength. "The Lister seem happy."

Clark burned his own shirt in the sink, incinerating it with heat vision, finding it pointless to put it back on and reabsorb the blood onto his skin. So when he comes back, he's shirtless and much cleaner, and gratefully slips on the provided shirt.

He sits down on the edge of the bed again, close enough that his thigh and hip are resting alongside her body, and he gently rubs her arm as she feeds. "They were slaves, weren't they?" It's an odd thought, that he not only rescued his love, but he also freed an oppressed people today. And it's definitely not a bad one.

April rests her head on his upper shoulder, finding no more embarrassment about feeding in front of him. His warmth is nice too.

"They were. Those that didn't work in the castle, lived in a concentration camp of sorts. The Scourge were killing them slowly. Enjoying the pain that they had inflicted on the Lister and their families."

Clark is happy to provide whatever support she needs.

"Then I'm glad that my saving you led to their freedom. The Scourge won't hurt them anymore either." He came to save one, and instead, saved dozens. It's so much more than he expected. And he managed to do it without damaging his soul, without giving in to the rage and killing.

"I think their freedom is important somehow. Maybe that is why I was taken." April feels the domino effect. Clark had freed them in freeing her.

"I kept thinking about you."

"More destiny things?" he asks, keeping his voice carefully neutral.

He kisses her temple again. "Did it help?"

"More than likely. But I don't want to think about it right now." April finished the blood bag and set it aside.

Moving closely to him, April nodded. "Uh huh. I didn't dare sleep, because I did not want them trying anything will I was chained up. But at night, I thought of you. And being in your arms again."

"And I felt secure. Even hundreds of miles and a dimension apart from you."

He wraps his arms around her again, almost pulling her into his lap, enfolding her in his protective embrace. "I'm glad." He would much rather have been there himself, or that she had never gone through this, but knowing that he was able to help even from another universe... it's good enough for now.

The embrace had been one that Apriil had thought about, that kept her from completely losing control in the darkest of times.

Nuzzling him, her lips brush against his neckline. "I would have been lost without you."

He would hold her forever if he could. When they first started, first met, he never would've guessed or dreamed that he would be here, now, with her. But now that he has it, he doesn't know how he'd live without it. Without her.

"No matter what, no matter where, I'll find you and be there when you need me," he promises, and dearly hopes that he'll never be forcibly separated from her like this again.

"I know that. I always known that." Well technically not always, but April has felt his passion and love for her for quite some time. And knew that Clark would never let anything bad to her.

"I would do the same for you. If I ever have to." And she dearly hopes that nothing bad happens to him that would force the situation.

Her senses reawakened from the ordeal, April takes in his scent. And sighs softly, contently, as he fingers trail down his back.

He closes his eyes, taking in her touch, the sound of her breathing, and the gentle thud-thud of her heart. "I think the multiverse owes us a vacation," he says, trying to be light-spirited. He's not used to feeling physical exhaustion, but the mental strain of the past week has been a huge drain on his energy.

"I agree. Where do you want to go?" Because mostly, April wants to get away from Rome as fast as she can.

"Somewhere quiet. Where we can just sit and do nothing together for a while." He's spent more than enough time sitting and doing nothing alone. And with the danger over, now it's all he wants to do, being with her. Somewhere that they can both recover from this ordeal.

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