continuation from other thread 

Don't bother letting go Each time his arms flexed around her smaller form, pulling her in closer and providing her with his warmth she found her mind and body ease. Close enough to feel his warmth and become familiar with his smell, his presence something she found herself able to get used to quickly. Even as she wept, even as her tears soaked through the cloth of his shirt he did not pull away, instead pulling her closer to provide further comfort. Her eyes squeezed shut, the last tear rolling from her cheek and onto his lap while his voice filled her ears. The last thing she wanted was to impede, to become a burden to him and his family. It was far too many people for her to find comfort in bothering, but he assured her that would not be the case. The offer caught her between a rock and a hard place knowing very well she did not enjoy staying home either, alone especially, so what was she to do? Become a possible burden to strangers or one to herself?  The thought was fleeting as he spoke again, confessing that his house too could become cluttered. She chuckled softly, able to relate to his words a long, long time ago. She found the story of her misfortunes teetering on her tongue, to mention her siblings, mother, and father, but it was another part of her past that was too sad to bring up. Especially now. His comfort alone only made her want to forget what happened to them, even if temporary. She found joy in his presence and didn't desire to ruin that. Gentle fingers continued to brush up and down his side, occasionally rolling the fabric softly between her fingers before her palm rested on his thigh. Though the air had a bitter touch, his skin provided the feeling of home. She didn't wish to break the embrace, daring not to move as she didn't want him to think she was uncomfortable and move away from her to provide her space. I'm here anytime you need me. Unsure if he could see her face fully, she smiled, "and I hope you know the same sentiment goes for you." This did not seem like the same man she met at the bar, the one who had just as venomous quips at her. He was gentle, nurturing, willing to put others before himself and he hid it behind a harder exterior. Though he often made jokes she knew there was something deeper that was not willing to share with the world, willing to keep hidden so deep so he did not feel like a burden to those around him. An internal struggle, one she had felt many times. She hoped that at least in her presence, he found some kind of solace at this moment.  A soft exhale escape her lips, her eyes closing as she soaked the moment in with the warmth of the sun warming her legs. Have you had breakfast yet this morning? Her chin lifted slightly until his profile came into view, she took note of the smile which she mirrored back. "To be fair I kind of left you hanging," slowly she rose from her position, though not wanting to, and looked at the building nearest to them. "Breakfast would be nice. Would you consider yourself a top-tier chef?" She joked back, her hand rested on the bench beside her legs and head cocked at him slightly, a playful smirk resided upon her lips as well.

Jahi

She wept, and he held her. Without complaint, his only movement the comforting stroke of his thumb over the curve of her lithe girlish shoulder. The ones that softly shook with her tears and the heavy breaths that accompanied them. It was a moment of skewed contentment, something so bitterly normal in a sea of thrashing tides of unnatural. He wasn't glad for her suffering, by any means, as he had told the little thief in their trek back to civilization upon awakening. He would never put another in that chair. He would never wish that atrocity upon another being, not even the thieving asshole he'd come to blows with on the mountain, or the stubborn mercenary he'd crossed in the dining hall. No one deserved to be in that dark, dank little hole in hell. Except the true perpetrators of the attack. Oh, if only he knew. If only he knew a true name to give them.

She seemed to be calming, little by little her breathing becoming more steady as her fingers stroked over his side, feeling the gentle tug and pull within the confines of the giving threads. Tightening. Loosening. A rhythm all it's own until it also faded and her tender touch settled against his leg. He stiffened lightly at the contact, at the softly scathing burn that was all too eager to remind him of the angry and irritated skin there. He shifted his weight slightly, ever so slightly moving her hand in the process as he turned peripherals to her. She smiled, the expression light in its existence, but present, much more so than when he had initially spotted her. The inclination brought a slight hint of one to suture to his mouth as well, a slight thoughtful hum reverberating from within his chest.

"and I hope you know the same sentiment goes for you." The offer would settle between the two of them, and he would continue to allow the gossamer simper to lace his lips as his stare settled listlessly ahead of him. Troubles. Woes. Things he was far from a stranger of, issues, problems that had long since died from the notion of sound, processed only in the unsteady sway of whiskey. As if the shore simply decided to mirror the ocean and melt into yet another wave until the bank succumbed. Most of his complications had been eroded by the consistency of pressure, but no diamond had ever formed. Only fault lines, ever waiting for the wrong press. A fuse eager to be lit. To crumble entirely into the depths of the abysmal canyon below. He had constructed a bridge to cross the gap, but it too was no stranger to the elements and had been a maelstrom beneath the surface. Repairs were frantic, but in the clamoring to fix, the quality had depleted. Each plank replaced by a twig, every support an ever thinner and thinner rope until they barely appeared to be little more than strings.

"I appreciate that." The words were earnest, but he knew the truth behind that little white lie. He had long given up reaching out for aid for the past, because the bridge couldn't take another repair and he merely sat in the middle haphazardly swinging above the bottomless pit with each and every little push and pull of the whimsical breeze. "To be fair I kind of left you hanging," he looked at her in full as she moved, raising her head and giving him another grin. He shrugged, raising his hands in emphasis of the motion. "Who's even keeping score of that?" the words were louder than previously, hinted with teasing sarcasm before allowing his forearms to drop almost limply against the back of the bench as she drew further away. "Breakfast would be nice. Would you consider yourself a top-tier chef?" His smirk grew to mirror or perhaps even surpass her own as he airily moved the hand closest to her in a dismissive roundabout. "Well, I don't mean to boast, but I'll have you know I've recently learned how to boil water without burning it." He would return her quip, faux confidence heady in his boisterous tone.

Cold now resided where the warmth of Lif once lay, and she found herself tempted to lean back into him and reclaim that warmth. Fingers lingered over her legs, pulling at the cloth of her pants in silent thoughts before his voice called for her attention again. A smile was offered as he spoke of his appreciation though she felt like he wouldn't take her up on that offer. Regardless it was on the table and she sure hoped at this point if he ever felt like he wanted to that he would in fact reach out. Until then she pushed it into the back of her mind, the conversation shifting back to his invitation of food. 

"Oh that is certainly top tier quality, I don't even think I can do that successfully," softly she leaned back into the bench, feeling his arm against the back of the wood. "So what does that put on the menu then?" At the thought of food she could feel her stomach grumble slightly, noting she hadn't eaten since the day before around lunch time. She stood from their resting place, shaking her jacket off of any debris that settled there. "So do I get to see you in a chef apron with nothing under, or are we going to go find a place?" A finger tapped softly against her bottom lip while her gaze trailed over his body for a second, biting at it subtly before cocking her head at him. "I have a feeling you look good behind a chef apron," she smirked at him jokingly, her fingers trailing through the thick of her fire strands, tucking away the loose ones behind her ears. 

It was nice to forget, even if for a moment, the torment they both had endured. Them, and may others she was sure. In this minute of the day she allowed her focus to remain on him, to enjoy his company and let any worries she had flee for the time being. She could worry about it later, but for now she just wanted to escape the prison of her mind and get back into some kind of normal reality. Even if temporary.

You've Got the Heart of a Leo
The Boy Who Swallowed the Sun
"Oh that is certainly top tier quality, I don't even think I can do that successfully," She leaned back against his arm slightly, and without thought his fingers would brush softly against the wild auburn of her locks. "So what does that put on the menu then?" All the while the lazy smile remained pressed against his mouth, his dark eyes fixated upon what he could glean of her countenance, however, his dry remark of 'warm water' would falter in the face of her next inquiry. "So do I get to see you in a chef apron with nothing under, or are we going to go find a place?" Though a part of him felt as if he should not be so surprised by her bold comments considering their first meeting, there was a part of him that still recoiled in slight shock to hear her be so candid without the haunting luxury of alcohol to dull the sense. Not a poor impression, to say the least. While he was accustomed to other more... frivolous conversations that daintily tiptoed around the brazen subject, it was nice, refreshing to be honest. Straight forward. Thrilling.

This, however, also tore at him with vague conflict. Again, he was accustomed to this. Confronting issues was much more difficult than burying his woes in softness and warmth that came with skirt chasing or finding the bottom of a bottle. An all too familiar sensation, a temporary high to push back the bleak and condemning. One sought time and time again, and there was no denying that learned habit. Especially as she turned her full sights upon him, sweeping him appreciatively and he felt the familiar burn of his skin with each path those chocolate hues traced. Before his fingers could idly tighten within her fiery tresses, however, she would pull away once again, leaving only the dull heat of hunger to linger upon her as his gaze slaked her own visage. "Well, that would be for the lady to decide, of course." Came the lascivious purr, accompanied by the haughty jackal's smirk the lifted the edges of his mouth.

"I have a feeling you look good behind a chef apron," her words, the scathing smolder of her gaze, he shifted his weight, fingertips edging along the wood and wrought bearings of the bench's back as a low rumble reverberated within his chest. He watched the meticulous path traced by her fingertips combing through the unruly waves, the way she gingerly pinned those closest her cheeks behind the delicate curve of her ear. He nearly mirrored the motion, sweeping back the strands that brushed his brow to affix her plainly with the molten sapphire of his sight. "It's cruel to tease," came the playful hum, this one far quieter than his previous quip of sarcasm, though he would also come to his feet. His finger curled under the curve of her pert chin, the cautious edge of concern overwhelmed with wanton heat. "But if you do want to work up an appetite first... well, I wouldn't object."

In the few meetings they had she was beginning to understand who he was, although only at surface level, she had met so many people that she knew the types she wanted to be around and who she didn't. He was warm, caring, charming even. Though he hid behind the familiarity of alcohol as it brought liquid courage, he was more than just that. She wasn't sure if he saw it though, and she was not going to tempt their friendship and force him to shy away by bringing it up. She wanted him to know that in time she did very much appreciate him. Had he been anyone else, a man who didn't care, he wouldn't of offered her a place to stay or a safekeeping. He owed her nothing and yet she could tell he worried about her, as she did him. Besides just the quips of their flirtatious nature there was something else, something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but she was aware of it all the same.

At all the mention of food and if he would be the one to cook it or not, he offered her the final say. Her finger lingered over her chin as the wind swept the curls back into her face causing her to push them behind her ears once more. While hungry his company was something that had been easily keeping it at bay. A hum vibrated lightly off her plump lips, her finger tapping at her chin gently as she watched him stand, mirroring her, mentioning that teasing was a cruel action. A small smile curled against her lips, tugging the edges into a smile as he moved closer, his hand reaching towards her face while he cupped her chin within his fingers.

There was a sudden jolt within her chest, the smile fading into something more intimate. She could feel her stomach curl as their eyes locked, her heart beat wildly in her chest. Confusion did not sweep her brow, but inwardly she wondered why it was her body reacted in such a way. Perhaps it was because she was not alcohol infused. They were both in a right state of mind, aware of their surroundings and actions.

But if you do want to work up an appetite first... well, I wouldn't object.

She gulped back the lump in her throat, her chocolate gaze not once faltering from his ocean stare. The roaring from her heart ringing in her ears made her words hard to find. A woman who was usually so confident in all situations lost in this one. Realizing she was taking longer to respond she pressed the smile back on her lips, her own palm reaching for the soft skin of his cheek as she caressed the back of her fingers over it. With a gentle motion she pressed herself closer into him, her chest brushing up against his as her other palm also cupped his opposite cheek. Both hands lay against his face as she pulled him in closer, her lips desiring to find the warmth of his own. She could feel her skin bristle with anticipation, their intimacy different from the last time they saw each other. This gesture was not masked, this was the confidence of her own and she found she wanted it more now that there was nothing altering her decisions.

You've Got the Heart of a Leo
The Boy Who Swallowed the SunFor a moment, there was nothing but the sound of the world moving around them. She stilled, and he could nearly swear to hear and feel the rapid beat of her pulse echoing from her own skin into his. His own hastened, if but just briefly. Consideration perhaps that he had too soon challenged her playful teasing, yet her own frame spoke otherwise. She remained close, those wide eyes remaining fixated upon him as if there was nothing else but them in this too big world. The vendors in the distance idly peddling their goods in a market and society where everyone constantly fretted and looked over their shoulder, squinting at shadows faded to naught but idle static. The breeze rustling through the blooming leaves and blossoms of the trees became white noise. Everything slowly drifted as if they were afloat in an ocean all their own.

The confirmation came as he felt her shift closer, the familiarity of her tenacious smile once again reigning upon her expression. The tender touch of her hand against his face was met just as softly as his free hand rose to clasp it gently. The one poised at her chin would drift down to her back, drawing her ever closer as she pressed flush to his chest. Anticipation was rampant upon his tongue as he felt her draw his face down towards hers, but this was not the fervent, near desperate mash of drunken curiosity. This was well placed, knowing, tempered. This he savored in a different manner than when she had allowed him to taste the liquor of her preferred drink.

He leaned into her embrace, into the lush press of her plump lips. This one not sweetened by whiskey but flavored with the acridity of his morning coffee. The reason for waking so early was temporarily lost on him as he willingly surrendered to the bliss of her company, of her unspoken invitation. For a brief respite, he was able to temporarily forgo the animosity and ever circling inclinations that had begun to brew since the visit of his child hood friend. His restless, tired mind finally ceased the machinations and musings of why and who and simply allowed him to exist. To feel. A different manner of hunger as he tilted his head, mouth soft against her own as his arm tightened along the curve of her waist, allowing her the full press of his frame.

Don't bother letting go Slowly she felt his arm wrap around her waist as he pulled her close, the warmth of both of their bodies fused into one. Here she felt safe, secure, desired. A different feeling then she had gotten from anyone else because though there was lust there was also another underlying feeling. Her mind could not wrap around what it was yet, she did not dare lose herself in a trance of though as the moment heightened. His lips found hers, the heat swelled in her cheeks, her heart wildly beat in her chest. Her hands moved from the softness of his skin to the back of his head, twirling his fiery locks within her slender fingers as she gripped at it gently. Her lips gently filled the pockets of his own, matching his rhythm with an undeniable hunger. Soft kisses turned into something more passionate, her tongue finding his mouth with the same intensity. The world around her was moving, but the one she shared with him stayed still forgetting they were in the prying eyes of others. She didn't care, but there was only so much that would be considered acceptable to society in public and she found herself wanting more than just that. She moaned softly between his kiss as she pulled away, but she did not dare break the closeness they shared. Her tongue trailed along his jawline, nipping softly at the skin there before she found his neck. There she would lace him with soft kisses until she reached his ear, "can we go somewhere more private?" She whispered with a smile as she drew away, locking his gaze with her own. Before he would answer she found his lips once more, placing another soft kiss upon them, gently tugging at his bottom lip with her teeth as she pulled away again. She held him at his waist, her thumbs rubbing at his sides.

Jahi

You've Got the Heart of a Leo
The Boy Who Swallowed the SunThe sun still dwindled high within the heavens, though shrouded behind the dark shadow of the unnatural veil that surrounded Lavalles. For the most part, it signaled a safe haven from the prime residents of the city. The early morning dew, however, was beginning to dry and lift from the sparse vegetation. Those mortals that still lingered - willing or otherwise - bustled busily around them. Errands to run in such a strict window of opportunity. Groups like sheep they roamed, knowing there to be a type of safety in numbers, less likely to be snatched from the shadows and sold to chains and misery, for here, even in the broad arms of daylight, the wolves crept. Yet despite all of that ugly reality, here they stood: alone in their own private world, closed off from the horrors that would otherwise surround them.

She brought this. This peaceful well that eased his nerves and allowed him to simply exist without the tattered memories of what happened to he and his family within this emboldened cesspool of wealth and corruption. She was the eye of the hurricane, the center of tranquility while the storm around erased the world as it was with an ever beating war drum, the very same that pounded within his chest, battered his ribs like an angry sea does the breaking shore. From him she took the oars of the ship, holding them just as softly as she did him.

She was different than the sordid comforts he sought, she meant something. Not a face and name that would fade from memory by the dawn if he ever deigned to learn it to begin with. The unblemished taste of her lips lingering far more prominent than any wine ever would. A high unobtainable by any other means, and he would have it no other way.

The slight ply of distance left him feeling a bit colder, the bite of the cool spring breeze an unpleasant reminder. Though she didn't leave him entirely, not being quite so cruel as she had been in the end of their last kiss. No, she remained close, and he allowed his crown to tilt for her affections as he contented himself with holding her close, relinquishing a heavy breath at the tease of her teeth. Soothed by the dainty caress of her lips and tongue until the heat of her breath fell against his ear, an askance that had him peering at her from the corners of his vision. Her wry grin was met with one of his own as she returned her mouth to his, tongue tracing her teeth as she teased the line of his bottom lip. A low rumble left him, soft, quiet as he grasped one of the hands at his side. "There's an inn nearby," he would offer, tearing his stare from her if but for a moment as he scanned the area, needing to recollect his dizzying thoughts. Gently squeezing her fingers within his own, he would lead her down the cobbled street, to the familiar doorway of the pub. The weatherworn sign overhead creaked with the faint brush of the air as he opened the door, giving a playful flourish. "Ladies first."

Don't bother letting go Even as the tender moment of their kiss broke, the familiarly of his fingers intertwining into her own brought the comfort back. She found his gaze, the brilliant blue that complimented her subtle brown, losing herself in the moment until his voice brought her back into their reality. Slowly her chin turned in the direction he motioned for the Inn. It was surprising as she had not known that one was so close, but she did not question it regardless. A simple nod and the squeezing of her fingers within his own would be the only validation needed that she was ready to follow. A soft tug of her lips formed the smile on her face as they made their way down the ally and not too far off was the Inn. The door pushed open for her and she wasted no time to make her way in, her fingers not once leaving his own as they moved inside and quickly secured a key to one of the Inn's rooms. Here she could feel the pounding in her chest, the ringing in her ears intensified at the door closed behind them. Now it was them, alone. Not in the world of prying eyes and questions from strangers. Only the two of them in the company of one another with no one to answer to. She turned on her heels to face him once again, her free hand moved to his cheek while her fingers gently caressed his soft skin. Her thumb trailed over his bottom lip as she moved in once more, locking him into the heat of her embrace once more. She freed her hand, but only to wrap it around his hips as her opposite one followed close. Carefully she would lead him back until she found the end of the bed buckle at the back of her knees which caused her to sit on the bed. Hands trailed up his back, playing with the fabric of his shirt between her fingers, egging him with her thighs to pull him in closer.

Jahi