Letting off the Pressure (Lindsey/Willow, pg13, 1/1) 


author: Lucinda
rating: pg13
pairing: Willow/Lindsey McDonald (QPC #108)
Quickie Challenge is http://quickie.moonlitpaths.com/challenge.html
disclaimer: Not mine - anyone you recognize is the creation of Joss 
Whedon.
distribution: WLS, NHA, Wic, Cat, Paula, QPC
uses QPC object list #12: Role-play, a toy box, a secretary, a neck-
tie



Lindsey McDonald ran his hand through his hair, wondering yet 
again why he still worked here. This place had been hell, almost 
literally. It had cost him so many things, even his hand. Granted, 
it had been replaced, but it wasn't the same. He'd found himself in 
the midst of evil, and he'd sank so low that it hadn't bothered him.

After the fiasco with Darla and her pregnancy, he'd been 
transferred to a different department, working with wills and 
insurance policies. It was supposed to be a demotion, although on 
paper there was no difference between the departments. For the 
first week, he'd been completely frustrated, not quite bored. Then, 
he'd gone to a special sort of club, a place where the real world 
wasn't allowed, and real names weren't used. A place where he 
was 'Danny' and where he'd met 'Rose'. Not that those were their 
real names, of course...

She had talked to him, seeing him as another person who's life 
was driving him crazy, and they'd talked for hours. Not giving 
enough details to let her know who he really was, or where he 
worked, but it had helped him feel better to talk to her. She'd 
talked about her friends, about the frustrations of balancing 
college and the responsibilities of being the 'responsible adult' of 
her groups of friends, who had ended up without parental figures. 
Maybe it wasn't as wide ranging as working for an evil law firm, but 
it was enough to keep her stressed out as well.

They'd stared seeing more of each other, meeting for movies and 
dinners, going for walks along the beach, but always during the 
day. They'd gotten a lot closer, enough that they'd even started 
giving information about their real lives.

There was a beep from his desk, the papers about the will for 
one Mister Dhratherius Khakovis reminding him that he was supposed 
to be working, not daydreaming about his lovely Rose. The beep came 
again, a signal from the secretary that she was attempting to talk 
to him.

"Yes, Miss Trask?" He managed to keep his voice neutral, very 
calm.

"There was a message from you, from a woman who identifies 
herself as Rose. She said seven o'clock, at the usual place. Does 
that make sense to you, sir? There wasn't a number left to contact 
her at..." The secretary's voice sounded a bit puzzled.

"Thank you, Miss Trask. I understand the message perfectly." 
He couldn't quite manage to keep his smile out of his voice.

He smiled, knowing that 'the usual place' was a small beach 
house that he'd managed to acquire. It had been infested with a 
horde of gremlins, small nuisance demons that needed to be banished 
before the place was good for anything. He'd been considering 
selling it before he met his lovely Rose, but she'd changed 
everything. It had become their place, where they could be together 
without anyone knowing what happened. Where he wasn't Lindsey 
McDonald of Wolfram and Hart, and she wasn't Willow Rosenberg of 
Sunnydale.

He walked into the beach house at seven, and a slender hand 
grabbed his neck-tie, pulling him close for a kiss as the door 
slammed shut behind him. "Missed you."

It was several long moments before there were any words 
today. "So... you're feeling a bit frustrated, hmm?"

"Mmmm... there are times when I hate my life. Being the nice, 
dependable one. Not expected to have any fun because 'it's just not 
you'. What do they think I am, a nun? Hello, wrong religion." She 
was running her nails over his chest, just hard enough for him to 
feel it. "Feel up to a little role-play tonight, lover?"

He felt himself chuckling, the sound deepening as her hand 
sank lower. "You know how much I enjoy it when we play Mistress of 
Pain. And it makes everything else more bearable."

"Goody. Now, for the toy box. I thought I saw a pair of 
handcuffs in there last time..." Her smile was tinged with a bit of 
darkness, and anticipation filled her voice.

Willow had just been too innocent before he'd found her. 
While he did indeed love their stress relieving encounters, and had 
actually developed feelings for her, he was still slowly bringing 
her over. Bringing her to the dark side, where he lived. It was so 
much fun. "I can't wait."

"I place myself in your hands." He smiled, knowing that 
tonight would be memorable.


end Letting off the Pressure