Strange Love

Jos let out a heavy sigh as she read the same line yet again. It had to be the hundredth time by now. Her eyes gazed up over the stack of papers she was reading through at the small crowd around her. Isha and Raven had dropped in and after a few minutes of catching up decided to take some of Cam's diaries. Raven was now stretched out on one of the chaise lounges with Isha between her legs, her back rested against Raven's flat c.h.e.s.t and the book lifted in her hands. Shelly was resting at the edge of the pool beside Scylla going through a box of Cam's belongings Poseidon had sent over the day before. And Chary... Chary set across from her flipping through her own stack of finance doc.u.ments. "What?" Jos asked as Chary shook her head while trying to cover a snicker with the papers in her hands.

"I was just thinking of asking you the same thing." Her dazzling green eyes studied Jos. She set the papers down and folded her arms over them, her heavy b.r.e.a.s.ts resting on them. "What's going on between you and my brother right now?"

Jos met Chary's amused gaze over the stack of papers she held. "I... I... don't know what-"

"What I'm talking about? I think you do." Chary said.

Jos swallowed hard, her eyes darting around the room. Just as she suspected, everyone had stopped what they were doing and was now listening intently. She forced her focus back to the doc.u.ments in her hands. "I... don't think he'd want me to say anything..."

Chary pushed up and leaned forward over the table pushing the papers in Jos's hands down. "Arei can eat a d.i.c.k... We," She motioned around the room, "are more worried about you right now." She set back down and crossed her arms under her c.h.e.s.t. "I've already talked to him... I know he's being his usual stubborn pain-in-the-ass self. What I don't know is how you feel about it."

"How do I feel about what?" Jos said averting her gaze as she lifted the doc.u.ments once again.

One fine, red brow rose. Chary shot a look from the papers now blocking Jos's face once again to the others. "I'm asking you, how are you handling my brother refusing to f.u.c.k you..." When shocked eyes met hers, Chary simply shrugged. "I tried to be less direct about it..."

Raven sputtered out a laugh as she helped Isha off her l.a.p and led her over to the table, followed by Shelly. Raven pulled out chairs for Shelly and Isha before taking the one between them. "Come on dude, you know you always feel better after talking this shit through."

Jos let out a sarcastic laugh. "And what, get more shitty advice from you? Group shitty advice?"

Raven shrugged, "The best or the worst, it doesn't matter advice is just that, advice. There are no rules saying you have to take it. Hell, just talk... we won't even respond."

"Speak for yourself..." Isha said coughing into her fist. When everyone at the table sent her a glare, she held up her hands. "Kidding, kidding... mostly..." Her eyes brightened. "I've got just what we need!" She flicked her wrist and produced several bottles of fairy wine. "And..." She flicked it again, this time producing a small metal object about the same size as a pen.

Jos looked from the fairy's wide smile to the sliver object. "What is that?"

Isha's smile widened as she handed it over to Jos. "It's a vape... of sorts..." She pointed to a button on the side. "You just hold down that button and suck in like you're smoking a cigar or something."

Jos studied it, moving it from side to side and watching the pale golden liquid in a clear compartment right below the mouthpiece. "What exactly is in it?"

Isha shrugged, forging innocence. "Ah, ya know, a little of this and a little of that."

Jos arched a brow in question, "This seems shady at best... how do I work it?"

"Hee!" Isha giggled as she shot across the table. "Push this!" She watched in excitement as Jos s.u.c.k.e.d in hard. "Maybe not so hard-"

Jos pulled away from the device in a fit of coughing. "What in the?!"

Chary leaned forward in curiosity. "Pass that this way. If I've learned one thing over the years, fae know how to party!" Jos handed it to her as she continued coughing and sputtering. Chary didn't waste any time as she tried the vape. "Not bad." She said around a light cough. She turned her attention toward Scylla. "Wanna try?"

Scylla held up a hand. "Pass, it will be hard enough swimming back to our room with wine if it's anything like last time."

Chary laughed. "Well, we could just sleep in one of the coves like last time." She s.u.c.k.e.d in another hit before handing it back to Isha.

Jos shook her head as she pushed up from her seat and grabbed a full bottle of fae wine. "If we're doing this... then I'm going to need all of this..."

"F.u.c.k yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Raven called out as she grabbed one of the bottles. "F.u.c.k glasses, who needs them!"

Isha raised her free hand. "Me, I'm who needs them!" She folded her legs under her as she flicked her wrist to materialize some glasses and a bowl. Her gaze shot over to Shelly. "Don't worry lil momma, I got something for you too." She ran her hand over the bowl, and it filled with a green liquid. "Boba tee, you'll like it if you haven't had it before."

Jos worked the cork out of the bottle and tossed it back, chugging it until she couldn't anymore. Setting it down with a long-puffed breath. "I... think there's more to it than him not wanting children and all the other reasons he's giving... and I think it has something to do with me and Russ-I mean I get it." She continued without taking a breath. "I get Maine was weird and awkward for me too... but in my defense, I..." She let out a long sigh as she leaned back in the chair and stared out at the bottle. "I have no excuse, honestly... I was doing what I thought would be the easiest less pain for me in the end..." She shrugged. "I knew there was no chance of anything long-term with Russ... and I knew I was just a passing interest to him... With Arei it's different... even then, it was different. Tampa was torture, had we stayed there any longer I'd not have been able to resist him. Hell, I literally called out Russ's name on the way back in the hotel room to keep from giving in... No matter what he'd done... no matter what he does... I can never stay mad at him or ever hate him... I hated Ry for so long, I wanted to hate them both... but I couldn't hate Arei..." She shook her head. "Even without knowing his name... Once I got my memories back... it's pointless to even try resisting my feelings for him. They will never change..." She lifted the bottle and downed another large amount. She held the bottle against her lips as she whispered. "But he doesn't understand any of that... to him, I'm simply rebounding." She shook her head. "Even when I've gotten him close enough to do more, I've been the one to hesitate... which only reaffirms his beliefs..." She lifted the bottle again, drinking deeply from it.

Raven tugged the bottle away from her. "Alright, b.a.r.e bottling fairy booze isn't a good idea. Take this, while I fill you a glass." Raven handed Jos the vape and began pouring a generous amount of the wine into a glass, then handing it to her. Raven's mouth dropped as Jos took the glass and emptied it in one drink. "Well, f.u.c.k me for trying, I guess..." Isha giggled, twisting her arm into Raven's as she set back. "So, what's the plan?"

Jos frowned as she leaned forward and retrieved the bottle again. "I don't know... He asked if I could wait until this evening, but who knows what that means. He's probably out devising a new way of torturing me..."

Chary arched a brow, a mischievous smile curving her lips. "Torture? Our sweet Arei? Do tell!"

Jos puffed out her cheeks letting the air out slowly. "I would ask if you really wanted the details of your brother's s.e.x.u.a.l prowess, but I already know the answer to that."

"Then why are you still stalling, beech!" She called out in amus.e.m.e.nt. Chary's laughter died off as she watched Jos's face redden while everyone continued laughing. "Jos, dear, trust me there's nothing you could say that would make anyone here think less of you or Arei. You don't have to keep all this pushed down so deep. Talk to us."

"I miss s.e.x-" Jos blurted her hands flying to her lips quickly.

Chary and Raven both busted out laughing. "There's a surprise!" Raven chuckled as she pulled Isha against her. "S.e.x is nice, I know I missed the hell out of it when this one decided to cut me off."

Chary nodded. "S.e.x is natural, there's nothing wrong with admitting you want it."

Jos glanced away in embarrassment as she added. "But he doesn't seem to want it... as badly at least..."

Chary set back with a huffed laugh, crossing her arms over her c.h.e.s.t. "Girl, he wants it I guarantee that much! But he's not lying when he tells you children of Poseidon are cursed. You should understand that feeling, feeling trapped by something you can't control."

Jos nodded. "I do... but it's the reason I want to make this choice for myself. I don't want to keep waiting. The more time that passes the more it feels more like something that I have no control over... And he's made it very clear that continuing to push for it isn't an option... though I have to admit just shoving that monstrosity he calls a d.i.c.k in me doesn't sound like the best idea... been there, could not do that."

Raven chuckled. "Well, from what you've told me you were a v.i.r.g.i.n and didn't think you use lube."

Chary half gasped half laughed. "My gods girl! That had to hurt like hell."

Jos nodded. "Yeah, I think I still have PTSD over it even after 500 plus years."

Chary laughed as she pushed an unopened bottle of fairy wine toward Jos. "There's only one way to deal with things like this... get wasted while ya do something you enjoy with friends. What have you been into for the last couple hundred years that we can't read about in these diaries?"

Jos shrugged. "Art... mostly..."

"There you have it then! Booze, painting, sketching, whatever you want! Let's have some fun! You guys will have to leave soon so let's make the most out of it." Chary said as she sprang up from her set. Ten minutes later she was unloading an armful of art supplies and canvases. And twenty minutes after that they were convincing Shelly to shift. "Come on just long enough for a quick picture, then we can use the picture as reference instead of you sitting here n.a.k.e.d the whole time."

Shelly rolled her eyes as she jumped down from the chair she'd been sitting on and walked over to the water's edge. Scylla moved away from where she'd been leaning and watched as the wolf shifted into a beautiful blonde young woman. Shelly sat on the edge brushing a section of her hip length hair over one shoulder to cover her b.r.e.a.s.ts. She cupped her large belly and smiled down at it lovingly. Holding the pose for a few seconds as cameras flashed around her, she finally arched a brow up at them. "Done?" Shelly asked in amus.e.m.e.nt.

"One more, just like that, smile at the camera." Chary said. She took the picture and lowered the camera as she watched the girl shift back into a wolf. "I figured after meeting your brother you'd be pretty, but damn girl, you're a beauty!" Chary shook her head in stunned amus.e.m.e.nt as she turned the camera around and lowered it for the wolf to see.

Raven leaned over to see. She sent Shelly a sad smile as she patted her head. "Rin would have loved this one." When tears started streaming down the wolf's furry cheeks, she lowered to the ground and pulled her into a tight hug and held her for a long time. Raven wiped her nose with a sniffle. "Alright guys, let's have some damn fun!"

***

Giggling echoed through the long corridors of the palace as Arei walked toward the library. He'd planned on going straight to his room, but the beautiful sounds of female laughter had found his ears almost instantly, and he couldn't resist seeing Jos's rare carefree laughter. The bag in his hand nearly dropped to the floor with his jaw as he pushed open the wide doors. There were flower petals scattered everywhere and live butterflies, but that wasn't what had his mouth hitting the floor. His eyes had quickly registered the other n.a.k.e.d women dancing around the newly staged library waving brightly colored scarves and scraps of lace as they danced. No, his attention fell instantly on the silver headed beauty standing behind a tripod with a canvas balanced on it. She had a palate of paint in one hand and the brush in the other. Her hair hid the majority of her b.a.r.e back, the silvery tips brushing the top of a pair of hot pink lacy p.a.n.t.i.e.s. He hadn't noticed until she bent a retrieved the bottle and turned it up, but she seemed to be well into a bottle of fairy wine. "Holy f.u.c.k..." He muttered. His eyes shot around the room quickly. They hadn't noticed him yet. He moved as quietly as he could until he was behind Jos. Leaning over her shoulder as he slid his free hand around her waist, he whispered. "Looks good, I didn't realize you were so talented."

Jos gasped as she turned to face him. "Arei?!" She didn't waste any time in her drunken state as she flung her arms around his neck splashing wine from the bottle still gripped in one hand and smudging paint on him from the palate in the other hand. Seeing the paint mess she'd made, she lowered back to flat feet on the floor. "Oops sorry, I was too excited to see you... I forgot about the paint." She slurred.

Arei arched a brow as the corner of his lips curved into a smile. He plucked the bottle from her hand. "How many of these have you had?"

Jos tilted her head as she stared up at him. "Bottles? I don't know two or three..." She glanced around counting at least 4 empty bottles in the near proximity. "Maybe more..." She murmured as she rubbed her chin with paint covered fingers.

He hooked his index finger under her chin and rubbed at the paint. "Where are your clothes, kitten?" His voice came out in a hushed, masculine tone. He could feel his c.o.c.k grow hard as her drunken gaze moved down to her b.a.r.e b.r.e.a.s.ts and his eyes followed.

She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, ask Isha. She was the one that said it would be weird if I was fully dressed while everyone else was n.a.k.e.d... then poof... they were gone..."

He took the paints from her and set them on a nearby table, then started unbuttoning his shirt snapping them loose with one hand. He sat the bags down long enough to tug his shit off and wrap it around her shoulders. "What do you say we leave," His eyes glanced quickly up at the group before moving even faster back down to hers. "I bought... somethings you may... like..."

Jos nodded, her gaze following her hands as they ran across the thick, rippling muscles of his lower abs. She let her fingers trail the sharp V as it tapered into the waistband of his slacks. "I can think of something you have I'd like..."

A gruff growl reverberated in his throat as he bent and scooped her and the bags into his arms before turning swiftly for the doors.