A deep sigh was uttered at Jon's desk, paying more absent attention to what was going on outside his window instead of the spreadsheets on the monitor. It was almost lunchtime on Friday, and he, like everyone else in his office noticing how nice the day was, thought the perfect lunch would be an early start on the weekend. He had no set plans, didn't really feel the need to set any. His normal routine of exercising, indulging in one of his hobbies, and time spent with Sabrina, which meant letting her indulge in whatever she had planned for them, was more than enough for his liking. He had to keep himself from wondering or daydreaming if something wasn't already set in motion, lest it distract him the rest of his day.
That effort proved fruitless as a familiar figure slipped into his office stealthily with that predatory grace. The lopsided smile on her face had him wondering whether he should turn off his work computer now and call it a day. She raised a hand up, beckoning to him with a finger; he did as he was urged, stopping right outside of her personal space. She urged again, and he didn't stop until they were nose to nose.
"You know," she began "I should really pay attention to all these international whatever days. Feels like there's a day for everything now."
"You mean like World Hypnotism Day?"
"That's redundant; that's...everyday...if you're doing it right."
The way she parsed her words, the tone and lilt used, he could sink right in front of her if he reflected on what she just said a little more, but he remained unaffected before her.
"So what's today?" His timber calm, but noticeably bracing himself for what was to come.
Her phone screen appeared next to her face, a headline written in bold
"International Kissing Day"
It certainly didn't matter what the article was about; the gears were already turning for the possibilities. He could figuratively hear the gears turning in their head, working toward something. It was that thought plus feeling Sabrina's gaze feel more pronounced next to her phone that made him act.
Sabrina sucked in a sharp breath through her nostrils, only because her lips were too preoccupied with following his. He went straight from that announcement to her lips. She couldn't tell then if he'd taken it as an unspoken command or just counteracting her efforts. His gentlemanly dominance in the kiss indicated the former, but it was so sweet that she wasn't inclined to stop him right away. It reminded her of their first kiss not 10 feet away from where they stood, where she got lost in something deep and reason-numbing. It wasn't their first in his office since then, but very reminiscent. She had even more tools at her disposal to stop him; drawing more attention to her eyes, a small pinch that would render him helpless once he was done, but she decided to use neither.
A hand pushed against his chest, and the kiss ended as she created distance and took a breath, nearly lewd smiles shared at both of them bearing her lipstick shade. Jon observed something else as she caught her breath and withdrew to her own thoughts momentarily. He figured it out so quickly that he couldn't believe it -- she had intent, but no set plan. He tried to remember the last time she had a hypnotic seduction unscripted, even if they were times he was made to forget. Nothing came. It was fascinating to see her in the planning phase, and just suddenly come up with something.
Her eyes flared, nostrils too, she bit her lip, staining part of her teeth red from the lipstick. The involuntary erection showed itself before she gripped his tie in one loop and pulled him forward, enough so their lips were inches apart again. This time her other hand was in place to maintain that distance.
"Embrace the crimson."
The trigger struck him harder than ever, mainly because she'd pushed him away and slipped out of his office with the same ease she'd used to enter it. He noticed she was wearing flats today, prompting wondering again what could be planned about this. The flats made it easier to dart towards the elevators, however darting instead of a confident stride there seemed unusual. She was lucky that he needed several minutes to let his excitement subside before heading out to follow her. Before he could leave his office, he got a text.
"Bring your wireless earpiece."
He put it in his ear and let it sync to his phone before leaving with the rest of the crowd heading to lunch.
Her car was still in her parking space, leaving him to deduce she was close by.
His phone rang.
"Sabrina?"
"Cold," she simply said, an indifferent tone with a ghost of a smile coming from her end.
He looked out from the parking structure, walking back towards the office.
"Colder."
He stopped, turned, and looked at his options. different shops, different restaurants, more than a few places she might be hiding and observing him.
He took a few steps toward the shops.
"Chilly."
Backtracked steps to the restaurant.
"Not so chilly."
A few more steps.
"Room temperature."
Jon's gait picked up as he crossed the street to the full eating establishments.
"Warm."
He walked by the first restaurant.
"Warmer."
The second.
"Even warmer."
He stopped at the fourth with Sabrina's
"How about this heat, huh?"
He went in and was greeted by the wait staff.
"Hello sir, eating inside or out today?"
"Cooler."
"Actually, I'm going to try outside today."
"You have no idea how hot it is when you're smart Jonathan."
Jon smirked to himself at the punctuation of 'hot' as the waitress seated him.
"Do you know what you'd like or are you going to need a minute?"
"Order an appetizer," he heard in his ear.
"Just an order of buffalo wings for me, with a sprite, thanks."
"Sure. I'll get that drink for you."
Jon looked from every angle, surprised that he still couldn't locate the redheaded hypnotist. He figured she would easily stand out in a crowd of mostly brunettes like him, but there wasn't a trace of her anywhere.
"Not exactly warm if you're not here."
"But pretty hot for exactly where I want you. You might even say sultry, perhaps."
His annoyed headshake got her to chuckle, which tingled in his ear.
"And what if I happen to be hungrier for something more than just an appetizer?"
"It's not like you aren't, Jonathan. But we both know the main course is coming."
"And what was what I gave you earlier?"
His taunt elicited more chuckling.
"A sampling."
The way Sabrina described that kiss just happened to be in that tone that teased what his ears was automatically on the lookout for now, a tone of voice that made his attention perk up to the point of fixation, a conditioned prelude of things to come.
"Because you see, I don't know how you could even feel cold after that kiss; I'm sure your lips would've found their way to right where I wanted you. And somehow I doubt a command of mine not to could necessarily keep those lips away; I'm sure that sly mind would've found a way to indulge. Those means of worship framing your mouth might as well be heat-seekers, and pleasing puppets like you always get me so hot. It's like magic..."
"Uh oh," Jon finally noticed her timber had changed like when she would get into role-playing, and her choice of words meant her charms were about to turn supernatural.
"It's like the food coming to your table right now can be enjoyed and your current outward disposition look as normal as if you weren't listening to me at all, while everything beyond the surface has no choice but to hear me."
He smiled at the waitress who set his food down. His stomach grumbled gently, hungry to be fed while the rest of him feasted on hypnotic words.
"It's like the powers that be connect us in ways that transcend what we know, binding us. One may not think a wicked Scryer like me would have much to do with a vigilant Striker like you. And yet, here we are, discussing kisses and copulating that would produce pure, heart-aching bouts of jealousy for everyone around us."
"It's like....it's like..."
Silence gave Jon's mind some time to clear Sabrina looked through her phone for something.
"It's like...it's fate to osculate." The joy in her tone was evident that she had found exactly something worth using.
"What a lovely word -- osculate. Unusual in sound, uncommon in use, and has several definitions. But in this context, the word needs not a definition. Spoken from crimson lips, already embraced by your logic and reasoning, fated to become a word of importance. Yes, it is fate to osculate."
Enjoying the taste of yet mechanically chewing on his food, Jon looked nearly dull and blank to anyone that would've noticed him, as his brain filled with an unfamiliar word soon to become his incantation.
"It's fate to osculate. It's fate to osculate. A phrase, a truth that rings in your ears, vibrating deep under the skin, sending waves of repeating witching whispers back within any part of you willing to listen, and all of you has been so willing to listen to me, aren't you?"
From a location unseen, Sabrina smiled at the slight nod he answered with.
"'It's fate to osculate' whispers within you over and over again as my words join the dance of the spell weaved within, as if you only know my words right now, as if you can only comprehend their meaning. And since every other word you hear is osculate, because it is 'fate to osculate,' it must be so easy to imagine my kisses, feel them. Even just my lips making a"
*Smooch*
"gives you the impression that my lips are truly there on your skin. Where did you feel it, I wonder."
Jon mindlessly set a buffalo wing down to stroke his cheek, red and burning from an impossible sensation.
"Ah, how lovely, and how luxurious it must feel."
