exchange [nessa]

Smoke drifted from the wizard-made hot springs  that this small hotel was known for. It was 1 in the am, and prime time for star gazing. This little resort was a hidden treasure, one place that a lot of the people that were higher up in the organization kept close to themselves. Other people knew about it, but when the little card with the crossbones was flashed, there was suddenly no vacancies, and every not affiliated customer was limited to a certain part of the facility. Grigoriy wasn’t quite sure how much that Boss Bones paid for that privileges, but that was a few steps above his pay scale. And he found himself not really caring.

He reached up to grab the small wood pitcher beside the edge of the hot springs, and dipped it into the water. He poured it over his head, hissing quietly as the hot water slid into the open scratches on his back. His heavily tattooed arms tensed with the sharp pain, before he relaxed, tilting his head back to look at the sky. If he was honest with himself, he was exhausted. This was the first time in a while that’d he’d been kept on his toes so much. Boss Bones hadn’t said as much, but he was sure that they were verging on war. It wasn’t often that he was sent to clean up loose ends, versus retrieving product. It had his heart thumping in this slightly anxious way, and tied with his exhaustion, it’d hand him amped up.

Sharp ears heart footsteps tapping against the wood ramp leading to his particular pool, and he broke into a small when he heard light cursing echo in the almost silent night. This wasn’t the first time that he’d brought Nessa Regan to this particular location, but it was the first time that he’d slid into her house and almost kidnapped her from her bed just so she could accompany him. As he leaned forward so he could submerge himself completely in the water, he contemplated their…friendship.

In his job, it was bad to form relationships. Nessa was good for him, because she wasn’t into commitment. They were good as friends, fantastic as lovers, but with her he didn’t have to worry about jealousy between them. He was particularly watchful when she was with others, but it wasn’t his place to step in, just as she didn’t step in when he was finding his own fun. The thing he cherished the most about their  situation was that he didn’t have to be villain with her. He could rest. And right now, that was exactly what he needed.

When he rose from the water, and flung his longish hair out of his face, he was met with clear eyes and an arched brow. “What Queenie? This place not fancy enough for you…” He sneered lightly, lightning and amusement warring with each other in his gaze. He nodded his head at the chilled bottle of red wine and the glasses sitting next to it. “I got your fancy ass the nice shit, so stop staring me down like you’re that upset to see me…” His voice lowered into a low growl, his Bulgarian accent sliding into the vowels as he stared her down. Grisha laughed and leaned his head back again, drumming his fingers on the stoned edge.

“…What were you doing up so late?”

@Nessa Regan 

August 2000 

When the sun had started to set Nessa had assumed this night would be like most of the ones this week, she'd have a glass of wine.. or four, read some pages of some research book, and then get to bed early so she could wake for work in the morning. She had been very wrong. In the dead of night she'd heard the screeches of her wards going off as someone barged into her bedroom and quickly whisked her away. It hadn't taken long for her to realize who it was that had abducted her once they reached the hotel. He'd brought her here before although on their last trip he'd given her time enough to pack more than just the short length kimono and panties she currently had on. She enjoyed the way he did things though because it gave her the chance to break from her routine. Nessa was huge on routine, details, and accuracy but she longed for someone to take control and tell her what was what. Even if that meant getting kidnapped from her apartment with basically no clothing on, in fact, especially if it meant that.

After quite a bit of time in between the sheets Nessa fell asleep, exhausted and satisfied. It wasn't until later that she finally awoke to find the space on the bed next to her empty. She moved, feeling the silky sheets rubbing against parts of her body that were still entirely too sensitive and she slipped her feet onto the floor. She found her robe and pulled it around her, tying the string loosely before going to find Grisha. She pushed open the doors leading to the hot springs and caught her own reflection in the pane of glass, grimacing at the disgraceful bed head she was currently sporting. She ran her fingers through her hair as she tip toed her way to the pool. She grumbled to herself as manicured fingers caught on a tangle, pulling it through as she approached him. "You could of at least given me a moment to grab my wand." She said, smirking at him from above before she reached for the bottle of wine, knowing he'd have quite the view from his angle.

She opened the bottle and poured them both a glass before slipping off her robe and joining him in the hot spring. "I could ask you the same thing?" She replied with a smirk. "I assumed you would be quite exhausted, but I see that I was wrong." Nessa was by default a demanding and insatiable woman, she always expected the best, wanted more, and was rarely impressed but that was not the case with Grisha. He never left her unfinished and it seemed he had more stamina than anyone she had ever met. Add all of that in with the fact that he was just as interested in entering a serious relationship as Nessa was and he was the perfect combination. She was not looking to settle down and he seemed just fine with that, which made everything they did that much more fun. She scooted closer to him, holding his glass out but refusing to hand it over until she got something from him first, the smirk on her face announcing exactly what she was waiting for.

Rolling his eyes, he waggled his fingers in her direction. “Presto change-o. Hair-o fixed-o.” He let his eyes travel her frame, arching a brow as he admired, before looking back up at her. “What man actually cares what your hair looks like when you’re dressed in the skin that you were born in? And there was a brush on one of the tables. You think this mop gets fixed on it’s own?” He scoffed and closed his eyes as she slid into the water. “You’ll be fine.” He muttered quietly, feeling a little guilty that he hadn’t let her grab anything.

It wasn’t Grigoriy’s habit to often drag people out of their safe homes and into his chaos, but he’d been so stressed. Nessa had been his release for such a long while now since he’d wandered into the Black King’s shop and she almost bit his head off a year ago. And he knew that he was hers. There were few times that they were in such a hurry as he’d been today, preferring the slow tease, but he’d needed it so bad. She scratched an itch that he didn’t know how to scratch himself. The Bulgarian swallowed slowly, opening his eyes to the sky as she began to speak again, focusing his attention on her.

“I just got back in the country a few hours ago.” Actually maybe 30 minutes before he came to get her. He shrugged lightly, shaking his head from side to side. “I am exhausted…this didn’t make it any better, but I don’t care.” He lifted his head up to look at her, light coloured eyes lazily tracing the lines of her elegant neck before darting back up to her face. He’d be up to go another round, but he could feel the tiredness seeping into his bones. He flicked his hand in her direction. “You keep away from me…I might break into ittle bitty pieces, and I need to work tomorrow.” He yawned, shaking his head from side to side as if that was going to get rid of his lack of sleep. It wasn’t funny how it didn’t work.

“Really Nessa? I profess my weakness to you, and yet you play with my heart.” A little smirk danced on his lips as he reached out and brushed the end of his fingertips along the stem of the wine glass. He could just lean forward just a little bit and snatch it, but that wasn’t what she wanted, but he found that wasn’t what he wanted either. He leaned forward, his hand snaking out to grab the back of her neck. He dragged her against him, crushing his lips against hers, his tongue dancing against the plush flesh even as he nipped at it. He tugged at her bottom lip, pulling away so his nose brushed against hers, and his harsh breath brushed against her cheeks, and slowly stole the wine glass out of her hand.

Leaning back in his seat, he took a slow sip of the glass, savoring the taste. “…I still don’t have expensive tastes in wine. This shit tastes like that boxed shit you made me try.” He huffed, before smirking at her again. “…What were you doing up? You still didn’t answer my question.”

Frowning she shook her head at him and his pretend spells, he had no idea the kind of work that she put into the upkeep of her hair. She was a perfectionist, it was obvious, but his next words made her smile. He had his own special way of making her feel beautiful and she was never disappointed by it, he had quite a bit of charm, but that didn't keep her from rolling his eyes at him. Instead of worrying about the state of her hair she found herself sinking into the comfort of the hotsprings. She relaxed a little, nearly feeling the stress in her brow lifting as the warm water washed over her. The circumstances of her arrival no longer mattered as she sunk into the moment and listened to him speak. "I'll put you back together again once I'm finished, promise." She teased, scooting a few more inches closer to him. He might of been sleepy but she wasn't ready for the night to end just yet. She held out his glass, waiting for him to make the next move and before she knew it she felt the warmth of his hands on her skin. With some force he pulled her close, the wine in his glass spilling over the edge and running down her forearm as his mouth landed on hers. She returned the kiss but before she knew it was over and he had the glass she had been holding hostage.

He was teasing her now. She pouted slightly before sitting back in her own seat and taking a sip from her glass. As she often did she found herself rushing through a range of thoughts and emotions when he was around. She went from flustered and turned on to slightly annoyed and back to flirty again in a matter of sentences. She stuck her nose up when he said he couldn't taste the difference. "I told you I was fine with a bottle of whiskey, but if you insist on buying wine you might as well get the good stuff. The boxed wine tastes like it was crushed by a troll." And not a particularly hygienic troll at that. She swished the wine in her glass around, taking in the aroma it gave off as that smile crossed his face again. It was the smirk that she had been originally drawn in by. Like she often was at work Nessa had initially been quite annoyed with Grisha as a customer, but it wasn't long before he won her over.

"I was doing research." She answered truthfully but with no intention of going into too much detail. While she trusted Grisha completely with her body, she didn't trust anyone with her work. Over the last few months she had been working tirelessly to find a cure for a friend and that task brought her to far away places, dangerous beasts, and illegal situations, none of which she felt like sharing. "I like to read before bed, it calms my mind." She set her glass down on the edge of the hot spring and sunk further into the water, her hair getting wet but she was beyond the point of caring. She felt like the warm water and smoke would swallow her whole as she felt fatigue setting into her muscles. "Where have you been for the last few months?" She asked, assuming he wouldn't really tell her and in no way expecting him to, she was happy with the way their conversations went. She knew he worked for a powerful man, the man who ran the Den in Knockturn but she was wise enough to never really ask for details.

As he stole the glass in one hand, his free hand snatched Nessa’s slim wrist, and he pulled her arm to his mouth. A soft tongue delicately traced the lines of wine that spilled down her skin, and he didn’t stop until every last bit was gone. His eyes lifted from his task and he stared at her through his lashes, licking his lips. Grisha was tempted to steal another kiss, but he knew that was tempting fate. He let her go again, sliding back over to his seat. Full lips sipped at the wine, and he just watched her, amused.

When she stuck her nose up in the air, he outright laughed. She was predictable in the fact that she always wanted the best of things, and sometimes he went out of his way to make sure that she experienced things that he had. Even if it was the dregs of the barrel, it amused him. “Whiskey? We had that. You were complaining about how you really couldn’t sip whiskey, and then you sent me out unaccompanied. You know I can’t be trusted alone.” He smirked at her again, leaning his head back to rest against the edge of the spring, turning so his eyes were focused on her.

“Research, eh? Boring.” He teased her, a bit envious of her ability to just delve into books for hours on ends just to get a small bit of information. She had this dogged determination that he admired, but it was something at complete opposition to the way he operated. Grigoriy was a hands on learner, and no matter how much her read, it was only until he applied the theory that he understood. That came with it’s perks and downfalls, but all and all it was an equal exchange. “And I like to fuck before bed, so we’ve gotten both of our nightly routines filled.” He slowly smiled at her, his eyes focused deep into hers. “I feel accomplished. What about you?”

“I was in Italy. Sightseeing.” He laughed softly rolling his shoulders. “I was also treasure hunting. And going after a lead.” He’d just got confirmation about his uncle’s location, for the fourth time. It was about time he did something about it, but something in his chest clenched thinking about opening the door to part of his life he’d not even began to explore. “I’ve got some family in the city I’ve never met.” He confided, blinking slowly in the smoke filled pool, before looking away from her and staring at the stars. “But we’ll see, because as soon as I got back, I got pilled on some work, and something’s going on down in the Undercity.”

“Be careful, Nessa.” He said suddenly, before rubbing the brand on his chest again. “Don’t get in trouble and make me have to fish you out the river, or I’ll raise you and kill you again.” He swallowed thickly again. “And you still owe me lunch.”

She rolled her eyes when he started talking about their choices in alcohol. It was true, whiskey was good but it wasn't exactly a casual sipping drink, not like wine was. And the buzz from wine always made her so... light, whiskey usually made her angry. "This is true." She replied simply at the idea that he couldn't be trusted but she didn't entirely mean it. Nessa rarely trusted any one with the exception of a few close family members but she felt at ease in Grisha's company, which was a lot more than she could say for the general population. She didn't know everything there was to know about him but she knew enough to know she enjoyed him, she felt safe with him but also there was a hint of danger that just seemed to follow him around, and she was insanely attracted to it even though she knew she shouldn't be. She eyed him over the rim of her glass when he replied about their nightly routines. "I have to admit, I very much prefer your routine to mine." She said, wiggling her brow before offering him a sly smirk. She'd take his daily task over hers any time he was willing to give it.

Sightseeing? Somehow Nessa doubted he was off taking photos of the Vatican and collecting postcards. Although she might not of known exactly what he did she had some ideas and she was fairly certain taking in the cuisine and music of Italy wasn't on the top of his to do list while he was abroad. Before she could reply he gave her more information and she smiled as the picture came into view. He'd been working. The words were all basic but she was smart enough to fill in the blanks. Her eyebrow perked at the mention of family he'd never met, she wondered if it had anything to do with the other Zukov she knew, but she didn't ask because something else caught her attention. Something was going down in the Undercity and that both interested and frightened her. Nessa wasn't completely in the loop about what happened in the Knockturn underground but she knew enough to know whatever it was it had the potential of being big. She'd heard stories, she'd been to the Den, and she wasn't oblivious to the fact that Dark Wizards still existed even though Lord Voldemort had fallen. Power was like a vacuum, she knew that, one fell and another quickly took his place.

Some witches might of closed their eyes and pretended like the darkness was gone from the world but Nessa was far more practical than that. She worked with one foot in that world, she always had, but she wasn't fully in it like Grisha was. She moved her lips to ask about what was happening but before sound escaped them he caught her off guard again. It wasn't unlike him to warn her but the way he said it was different. The way he rubbed the scar on his chest was almost haunted. And his next words hit her like a rock. She stared at him behind dark lashes and took a moment before a small smirk crawled across her features. Setting her glass down on the surface behind her she moved closer to him. She was used to him playfully threatening her but this was more than that, even with the last words he said. "You don't have to worry about me Grisha, I'm a big girl." And she meant that, she could protect herself, but she far preferred to not need to in the first place. In the past she had been clever enough to become needed but to keep herself out of the real fires of the war. It might of been pure luck, but she would never think of it that way. She took credit for everything she did.

"Tell me what's weighing on you?" She said as she slid her leg over his and pulled herself on top of him. The closeness made her smile as it always did, but she wasn't looking for physical reaction right now, she was looking for answers. Her curiosity was getting the best of her and even though rationally she knew she shouldn't ask she couldn't help herself. The words spilled from her lips before she could find restraint as her hand came to rest on the brand marking his chest. "What is about to go down? Are you in danger?" She found herself feeling concern for him, a strange attachment she rarely felt, but he had earned it.

He laughed, more like a soft exhalation of noise, his eyes narrowed as he focused on her. “You act like our routines are mutually exclusive. I can find a way to keep my mouth occupied while you read, lovey. Don’t worry about that.” Grigoriy licked his lips slowly, his eyes hooded as he slowly perused her form, a smirk just toying along the edges, before running a long fingered hand through his darkened hair. “I saw the book, Ness. Don’t go doing any dumb shit.” He rapped his fingers against the stone, his long arm stretched out along the edges. Sometimes he felt like she didn’t take him seriously, and that was fine. He was used to that from people, but he could make her listen. If he had to, he’d show her the side of him that kept Boss’ debtors on a regularly scheduled payment plan.

Grigoriy rolled his eyes when she as perched on his lap, and his hand absently went to rest on her slim waist. He ran his hand up and down his side, head tilted as she began to analyze him. It amused him a little, as she tried to lure him to telling her what was going on with her soft words and pretty tits. Any other person, he’d dump back into the water and ignore them. Nessa had done him no wrong, and was his shelter from that other place. She was crazy as fuck, but he was his type of crazy. “Big girl or not, you’re going to heed me.” His words were low, and his accent thick, and there was no hint of a smile on his face as he stared her down. “I will chain you to my headboard if you decide you want to start some shit. You wont be able to contain the aftermath, I ensure you.” His short nails pressed into her skin as he gripped her hip tightly, wanting her to take in his words as he meant them.

“…When am I not in trouble?” He leaned back against the edge, staring up at her, admiring how she sat prettily above him, like some dark queen to be worshipped. Even as his thoughts trailed down to that other path, he ignored them for the subject at him. She got him distracted, which was good when they were doing other things, but he was about to drag her into his world, just so she could be protected. “Old enemies. Old blood feuds. The Bonemaster has me due to move somewhere for a week or so, trying to get the heat off of my back from my trip, but I don’t think its going to be enough.” Grisha shrugged, shaking his head. “It’s shit that happened before me, but being where I am, I’m in this mess. And I don’t want you in it.”

His hand reached up to grip her chin, and he pulled her down to his level, so she was face to face with him. “If I see you fucking around and getting in trouble, I’m coming for you. Take it as a threat, or a promise, but stay your nosy ass the fuck out of it.” His rumble was low, and thick, but he enunciated every word so she could hear them clearly through his accent. He leaned forward a little bit, so his lips barely brushed against hers, and a low whisper slithered against her skin. “If you’re good, I promise it’ll be good for you…You know I take care of you.” Then he kissed her hard and ardently, like he was trying to devour her from the outside in. His hand gripped her chin firmly still, then he pulled away, eyes lowered, and sighed.

Exhaustion had his shoulders sliding down, and he leaned back again. “…I’m tired, Queenie. Fucking wired, and I can’t sleep…I sleep like 2 hours at a time, and it’s not…right.” If he was honest with himself, there was this hint of paranoia that kept creeping up on him as he stared into the shadows where the dark things lie. “I go away tomorrow. You gonna miss me?” Grinning charmingly, he laughed.

Nessa had always been amused and allured by the way Grigoriy could mix threats with pleasure so seamlessly. She smiled at his mention of the book but she wasn't going to push the subject, if she stayed quiet about that and held back a retort perhaps he wouldn't mention it again. She didn't want him to think she was purposely getting herself into trouble but she also didn't want him to try to stop her. There were things she had to do, things he couldn't protect her from, but she didn't have to bring those things up. Only a fool would start a fight with a man like Grisha and Nessa wasn't a fool. As she slid on top of him she felt his hands on her waist, right where they should be, and things seemed to cool off for the moment. She wanted to know the details even though part of her knew she probably would regret asking. She was curious, it was unavoidable, but luckily he didn't seem too upset by her prying. She could be patient and wait for him to freely give the information if she had to, plus there was more than one way of persuading someone to give up the details. Her eyes fell to his chest again as he demanded she heed him, only looking up through dark lashes when he threatened to chain her to the headboard. She wouldn't mind that bit, but the nails digging into her sides told her he didn't have the same things in mind as she had. The smirk that almost grew on her lips faded and she nodded silently to him. She wasn't submissive, but she didn't have a death wish either.

She understood now that he wasn't playing around, even if a smile tended to linger on his features. Sometimes it was difficult to tell with him but she didn't usually mind, he was a little strange, but that made him interesting. Not to mention he was damn smart with the strength to back it up. She listened to him, truly picking up every word and not thinking of speaking until he was finished. It was more words in one sentence about his work than he would normally cough up but yet she still felt like she had received very little information. He was in trouble both because of things that happened before him and things that were happening now. She didn't know what those things were, and she probably never would, but it was enough to sate her for now. The idea that he didn't want her in it, that he wanted to protect her, struck some chords deep inside. Nessa had always tried to protect herself, she didn't take hand outs, but this was different. She actually appreciated the way he cared about her, which was something she almost never felt. And not long after he said something hinting at compassion he was back to threatening her and she felt relief. She knew his words were true, that he was to be taken seriously but that danger was part of his appeal.

Their relationship was simple and complicated all at the same time. They were friends who occasionally got together but even though Nessa had the freedom to she rarely found herself looking at other men these days. It wasn't as if she spent her time circling his name and hers in her notebook but she did have some feelings for him. More than she'd had for anyone else, and his twisted way of reciprocating was exactly what she was looking for. She didn't want a relationship, didn't want to be tied down, and knew he couldn't be either. Even as he threatened her he promised things she knew he could keep and that made her smile. She could try to keep her head out of his world for as long as it was possible and she really would try but eventually she knew it would come crumbling down. Oogie's reach grew each day and even with her connection to Grisha aside she knew of the Bone Man's organization, it would be hard to make a living and stay out of his world for much longer. She hoped when that day came Grigoriy would understand but a part of her doubted it. She knew part of the reason she was appealing to him was because she wasn't part of all that and when they were together maybe he wasn't entirely either.

When his lips brushed against hers she felt herself drawn to him again, that chemical pull that kept her coming back for more. Her heart raced for a moment until he pulled back again and sighed. She had stayed quiet for some time now, letting him spill what his was willing to and enjoying the polarization of his words. She could see it on his face just how tired he really was. "I can make you a potion for that?" She offered, assuming he already knew the ingredients for it. She wasn't a world class potioneer but she knew more than the average witch. "But if you go to sleep we won't have any more time to have fun? Isn't that why you come to see me?" She said with a devilish smirk. She knew he was probably exhausted and he had every right to be but she was the type of woman who always wanted more. He didn't call her Queenie for no reason after all. "You work too hard you know that right?" She poked him lightly with her index finger as she accused him. And then came the question of whether or not she would miss him. She would, of course, but she wasn't the type to tell him that or promise to wait for him. "I suppose there are some things I will miss..." She said coyly as her eyes trailed down his abdomen to where the steamy water blocked her view. "Maybe you should remind me so I don't forget while you're away."