Sometimes Boredom Isn't So Bad (Baldwin)

Amber had spent the past few days relaxing, but she knew that she would need to find something productive to fill her time. She wanted to ask Artemis if there was anything she could do, since she was basically living off of the other girl and her family. For now, though, Artemis was away from home and so she lounged in the large and airy parlour as the sun made it way above the horizon through the window, with a book in her lap and a drink of the table beside her.

The book was relatively interesting, but she had read most of the information before. It held many secrets of potion making, though, and she thought that she may try some of them later. As she considered how, she felt herself drifting to sleep. A noise by the door woke her, and she immediately sat up, sure she'd only closed her eyes a few moments before, but judging by the sun's height in the sky it had been at least a couple of hours.

Baldwin, once again, found himself bored without Artemis' company and decided to go out for a normal hunt to help with the Humans in the nearby village as winter came rolling quite quickly towards them. Making his way back home, his eyes were closed most of the way and he trusted in his horse, Lagsi, to guide him home. It was quite fitting, the horses name, as it was Icelandic for Companion. Reaching the stable yard, his eyes were drawn to the parlour room where he knew his sister's friend was kept as she had been there when he left.

Placing Lagsi away, Baldwin used his vampire speed to rush into his room to change out of his riding gear, replacing it with a more casual outfit. It was something people saw him in as he always wore suits but he actually felt more comfortable in clothes like this, along with a leather jacket for his motorbike. He just had to keep up appearances as he was afterall the prince. Not thinking about where he was going, Baldwin had somehow ended up at the parlour door and it was too late to back away as he heard Amber stir from within. Entering with a calm expression on his face, apart from the slight curve of his lip which indicated he knew that Amber had fallen asleep, he bowed his head. "Why, good evening, La belle au bois dormant." He said smoothly, falling into one of the plush arm chairs.

After establishing that she had slept for far longer than she'd intended, Amber turned get attention to the door where Artemis' brother, Baldwin, was entering. She had thought that everyone was out, but of course someone would end up returning as the say drew nearer to its end. She blushed, realising that he must have known she had fallen asleep, her patchy French enough to understand his words. She answered quickly, however, and said, "I was not asleep. I was resting my eyes in an attempt to alleviate this boredom bestowed on me when your sweet sister left to wherever the hell she went." The red head watched as he dropped into on of the other chairs, and raised an eyebrow. "You look comfortable," she added, noticing his lack of formal attire, "and like you've got nothing to do. Which is good because as I said, I am bored witless, so you can entertain me in your sister's stead." Then, her tone becoming more formal as she sat up, she continued, "I would like to help around here somehow. As the prince and all of that, surely you can think of something for me to do?"

Baldwin watched her, scanning her with his sharp eyes hovering over the curves of her body for a fleeting moment before scolding himself mentally at how inappropriate he was being. "Ah, Belle...I find that your excuse is not true. From the extremely slow heartbeat that I could hear from outside the door or the blush that is dancing upon your snow white cheeks, a sign of embarrassment because you know I have caught you." He analyzed with a cheeky smirk, knowing it'd infuriate her at the fact he had most definitely caught her. "Why yes, I am very comfortable. But I suppose you wish for that to change so I can help you with your apparent boredom." He then decided on becoming more cheeky, mischief clouding his grey eyes. "Why, you could help me bathe of course. if that is what you mean of entertainment."

Amber’s eyes narrowed in frustration, despite knowing that she was being idiotic. and she said, “well, I don’t recall telling you you could listen to me without me knowing.” Now she knew that she was definitely being idiotic, because her words made little sense. Firstly, she knew almost as well as he did that he couldn’t help what he heard, and secondly, one did not need to give permission to be listened to. But her tone of voice and her expression did not show these thoughts- only a genuine look of annoyance. But really, if she was honest with herself- and she was- her response was solely because she was embarrassed to be seen in such a way by somebody who she respected so much. Then, her face showed as she became interested in his words, wondering if he would actually give her something interesting to do. Then, almost instantly, her eyes narrowed as she threw her book straight at his face, though she couldn’t help the smile that tugged at her lips. “Idiot.”

Baldwin's grin never left his expression and simply held his hands up in surrender. "My apologies, m'lady but the light snoring I heard was impossible to ignore." He teased, glad to be out of the public eye so he could be as cheeky as he always had been. With sharp eyes and incredible speed, he caught the book and a look of though he were about to hunt grew on his expression, dropping the book onto the coffee table and sped forward, tackling Amber with a beaming grin. "What was that you called me, you little minx?" He jokingly growled, momentarily dazed by the sweet scent that was Amber Flint.

Amber gaped for a moment, before she settled on an indignant expression as she insisted, “I do not snore!” It was true, she didn’t snore, but for a moment she almost forgot that completely. Of course, he was only teasing her, but she didn’t think about that so much as the fact that he was actually teasing her. She almost started to laugh, until she caught the expression on his face and she knew exactly what he was going to do half a second before he did. She didn’t have time to get away, though, and she tumbled to her back on the lounge under the speed and weight as it collided with her. For a moment she pouted, though it was as playful as he was being, before she caught up with the fact that he was closer to her than he’d ever been before. Her eyes barely moved from his, to his lips and then back before the laughter died in her throat and she whispered, “idiot," in a tone that contrasted with the playful one she'd been using before.

Baldwin let out a light chuckle, thankful that his little sister was not here to keep the redhead out of his sights. When she began to laugh, he caught sight of the fact she was beginning to know what he was going to do and it amused him, excited him to no end. He was bent over her, only there to frighten her but despite being a person who thinks before he acts, he didn't this time and found himself short of breath at the closeness they shared. Hearing the whisper, he only truly registered the look towards his lips and his eyes once more and the old vampire took it as an invitation. His lips slowly moved down and hovered above hers, almost nervously and he brushed against hers gently. That's how the redhead needed to be treated. Like a princess, with gentleness and romance instead of rough, rushing into it like the men in Amber's life had done before.

Amber had always been fast. Much faster than her peers when it came to movement, or using her senses. But never before had her mind worked as quickly as it did the moment before and as Baldwin'sl ips brushed gently against her own. But in just one moment, her mind argued with itself more than ever before. He has been so charming.. he's Artemis' brother! He's incredibly good looking, and his lips feel warm rather than scolding hot... he's a bloody prince, why is he kissing her of all people... oh, fuck it.. one little kiss won't hurt anyone. It was foreign to her, having mostly been intimate with werewolves who were almost always unconsciously rough, or young and inexperienced boys who didn't know what to do with themselves. But his firm lips didn't push any harder than the slightest whisper against her own, and she felt almost impatient. Despite that, she only increased the pressure by a fraction, allowing her eyelids to flutter closed as she brought a hand to his face. Because it was nice, but also of thrilling in a unique kind of way. Artemis might very well kill her, but to feel so special even for just a moment may very well be worth it. So she did not push him away from her even after the few moments she had originally intended on allowing.

Baldwin's long dead heart seemed to awaken at the way she applied pressure to the kiss and every part of her intoxicated him, spurring him on to cup her pale cheeks and press his body against his, noting how no one had ever seemed to fit so perfectly against him. He was married once upon a time but the more he thought about it, the more he noted that that woman never had the same effects that Amber had on him. He would go into battle for the beautiful red head, he'd fight dragons and kill Chimeras if he meant he could have this feeling every day of his life. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how improper it was so he pulled away slowly, his nose still resting on hers. "Forgive me, belle...That was rude of me..."

Amber was surprisingly comfortable laid against the couch despite the fact that a fully grown man was hovering his frame over her own. Not to mention the fact that his lips seemed to know exactly what to do as they moved with hers, and she desperately didn't want him to ever stop kissing her. But all too soon, he did just that. Pulling his mouth from hers to look at her, she could instantly tell exactly what he was going to say. Also knowing that Baldwin would almost certainly move completely away from her, she moved her fingers to the back of his head so that she could hold his hair in her fist to keep him from doing so. "It was far from rude.." she said softly, slightly breathless, "and I will only forgive you if you do it again."

Baldwin was surprised at the holding his hair in a fist, keeping his face hovering above hers. Whilst she was slightly breathless, he knew that if he were mortal, he'd be panting with the lack of air and the exhilaration of kissing the one he wanted to kiss since the moment he met her. "Then I shall beg for your forgiveness..." He murmured, forgetting all about being delicate and crushed his lips against hers, his cold hands holding onto her hips. He could feel the smoothness of her skin as her shirt had risen slightly and he almost groaned at the feeling, electricity shooting through his body. She was intoxicating, pressing his body against hers once more.

Amber was nervous for a moment, concerned that she had pushed him too far. Perhaps he really did regret kissing her, and although she hoped that that wasn't he case, she would understanding if it were. His words, however, squashed her doubts and caused a small smile to light her lips before they were occupied once again. It really was different than anything she had experienced before, even though this kiss was far more demanding than their last. Almost as if by themselves, her legs slipped around his, so that her whole body rather than just her hand held him against her. And she loved the feeling of his firm and cool body against her own as her mind struggled to focus on both his mouth and the feel of his back as her free hand gently smoothed over it.

Baldwin was thankful that he didn't need to breathe as he wanted to have his lips on Amber's for the rest of his immortal life. Her legs slipping around his body spurred him on, pressing his lower half against hers to show her how much he needed her and he slipped his tongue into her mouth, dancing against hers. His hands slipped up her stomach, rubbing the cool skin and reluctantly, removed his lips but only to kiss and nip at her neck, bucking gently against her as he knew she could feel him through her thin skirt that would look so amazing on the floor. He wanted to treat her like a Queen, and be gentle with her but she was just so intoxicating he could barely control himself.

He had an amazing back, Amber decided, her hand almost refusing to move away from it. She could feel cold, hard muscle underneath his shirt which were only pulled away from her attention when his tongue invaded her mouth and his body move a little more roughly against hers. She had to admit, that perhaps all of him was amazing, as she felt hardness rub between her legs. Then his mouth was gone from hers, and she let out a whimper of protest that quickly turned into a soft moan as it reconnected with her throat. Her own hips moved in response to his, eliciting another sound from her lips as she slipped his shirt part way up so that her fingers could feel bare skin. He wasn't icy, like she would have though he- a vampire would be, but rather delicately warm, and surprisingly soft despite the obvious strength in his body.

Baldwin could barely concentrate on making sure he didn't just ravage her there and then when moans like that left her lips. He groaned in response to her hip movements and one of his hands delicately rested on her thigh, trailing up. In that moment, he heard the front door open and close and the familiar sound of his sister calling them met his ears making him wrench himself away from Amber to the other side of the room. He looked ragged, his chest raising up and down and his hair messy from their heated touches. His shift was ruffled and it was evident he enjoyed every second from the way his trousers made a large tent. "Forgive me, my love..." He whispered, not using french to hide the way he felt towards her and in a flash, pressed a sharp kiss against her lips and exposed thigh in a speed so fast she wouldn't even know until he was already gone. Baldwin now hid in his room on the other side of the castle so they could not hear him, hand on crotch with a bite of his lip...and eyes as black as night, the excitement having got to him.

The delicate trail of his fingers up her thigh had Amber letting out a shuddering breath, anticipation clear in her eyes as her nails dug softly into the skin of his lower back. It felt as though every nerve inside of her was alight with unadulterated desire, and despite the want for him to hurry up and touch her, she found herself enjoying the slow and sensual way that he was touching her. Until he wasn't anymore. Mind so clouded with a deep seated want, she hadn't even heard the door open and wouldn't have known that they were no longer alone in the house until Artemis' voice filled the air. It was the first time ever that she wished that the girl she now considered her sister would go away, and although part of her felt bad for the thought, her hammering heart and the heat in her stomach wouldn't let her avoid it. For the half a moment that Baldwin remained in the room, he looked devastatingly sexy and she was sorely tempted to continue with her 'fuck it all' decision and pounce upon him herself. But a moment later he had left the room, and Amber sat in the same position she had been in, having felt his kisses but hardly seeing them. Sitting herself up again, she adjusted her clothes and tried to calm her breathing before calling out. "Artemis? I'm in here," she said, only slightly louder than normal volume, her eyes showing frustration despite her being happy that Artemis was home.

Baldwin felt ashamed he had left but knew that if Artemis caught them, he'd be very sorry. He was the man to shout his love to the world, to Amber and not just pounce on her like he had. If his sister knew, he'd receive quite a lecture and he would rather not deal with that, until he was sure that Amber didn't just feel lust, but love for the french Prince.

Artemis entered the living room, kicking off her high heels and fell onto the sofa in a dark blue evening gown and her hair twisted up into a messy bun but it was clear that it had been a wave of curls that would've cascaded down her back. Glancing at Amber, she shot up in alarm at her flushed cheeks. "Amber dear, are you well? Do you need Martha to brew her special tea?" She said, her exhaustion made it look like Amber had a slight fever, not that she had a heated session with her brother.

Amber watched as Artemis entered room and immediately began to make herself comfortable as Amber had seen her so many times before. She looked exhausted, which was surprising as it was very difficult for that to happen to someone of their kind. But despite her concern for Artemis' wellbeing, she couldn't bring herself to say anything just yet. When the other girl looked at her and sat up so quickly, the colour in her cheeks darkened, having thought that she had realised what exactly she had just interrupted. But Artemis had though something else, and Amber smiled brightly and shook her head. "No, I'm fine," she said, tugging at the ends of her hair in a vain attempt at fixing what she was sure was a ruffled mess of red, "I am as resilient to mortal ailments as you, remember?"

Artemis watched her with curious, tired eyes and she smiled, using her speed to throw herself forward but even that was sluggish, cupping Amber's cheek. "I often forget that you are like me. You must've been napping and I disturbed you." She slid onto the arm chair beside Amber's and threw her arm over her eyes which were actually black as ink. "I do hope you've been keeping yourself occupied whilst I've been travelling. I promise it'll be over soon. It's just the heads of every country demand to meet together but some don't want to meet together due to rivalry so I have way too many meetings. It'll drive me insane one day." She murmured in explanation.

Amber froze as Artemis came so close to her, her eyes widening slightly as she realised that Artemis had to be able to smell something from so close. The red head herself could smell some various scents on Artemis, some she recognised as people she had briefly met, others entirely unfamiliar. "Ah, yes," she said quickly, smiling, "I was having a nap in here before." She needed to stop panicking, because it wasn't a big deal. "I've been entirely bored this whole time, Artemis!" she answered, "surely you can think of something for me to help with or do while you're off doing all of this important stuff? If you give me something to do to help you somehow, surely it would make you not want to go quite so insane?" This wasn't the first time she had tried to ask Artemis to give her something productive to do, and she hoped that she would actually do it this time.

Artemis was so weak in that moment, a feeling she hadn't felt before but she couldn't help it. Having been in a room for months with just humans that she couldn't even get the slightest taste from made her focus on controlling herself and on a daily basis, even at home, it was a trail. Amber's suggestion, when she wasn't so tired, would've made her scoff and refuse but in her exhausted state, she gave in trying to fight the stubborn woman. "Perhaps whilst I'm away, you can decide where in the estate you'd like as your own? We can hire some people to build you your own land on the estate. Mine is the cherry blossom garden. You know the one, with the lake. You can have your own little place on the estate that we'll name after you. But the only thing I can ask of you now is to give me a blood bag. Being around humans for so long is...exhausting." Artemis said, removing her arm to reveal her inky eyes and dark rings under her eyes.

Amber raised an eyebrow at Artemis' words, thinking to herself that it seemed the job was rather self serving for herself. But she didn't disagree, and instead nodded, as she knew that Artemis must truly be out of sorts. "Of course," she said softly, standing and sweeping from the room, dropping a kiss on Artemis' head as she passed. She grabbed two bags from the cool room in the kitchen, the walk not feeling nearly as long as it usually did, before returning. The redhead placed both on the coffee table in front of her friend, before returning to her place on the lounge. "I can imagine," she said, smiling sympathetically, "I'm so glad you're finally home, though."

Artemis' eyes were so heavy, having never felt so tired in her life that when Amber left the room, it felt like a century had passed before the bags hit the coffee table. "You're an angel.." She slurred and sat up, her movements slow and not as elegant as they usually wore but she ripped the bags open as the hunger hit her hard in the pits of her stomach. She downed the bags down in seconds, a line of blood rolling down her chin but she quickly caught it with her finger, sucking it off. "I'm glad to be home. I hate having to leave you so much but it makes reunions so much sweeter." The vampire quipped, her energy returning in a flash which she was grateful for. Artemis still felt the urge to sleep but she fought it, sitting back in the chair and the black eyes faded away slowly, allowing her hazel eyes to make their appearance.