Private Tales Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls

[Raphael]

"It's been a while since I've shifted into anything like that for the joy of it," he mused in agreement with the sensation being wonderful. Puca were trained to use their shifting abilities for war and violence, not for the simple pleasure of seeing the world in a different way. He glanced across to her as she came and plonked herself down in the sands by his side and then gave a husky laugh at her question.

"Sure, I feel like I need it after that run. Remind me to race when I have my wings next time," he unfurled his legs and begun to pluck the laces undone to remove his boots. Then he stood and removed his shirt and breeches so he was in nothing but his smallclothes. Nudity and the like had never been something that had bothered him. In the camps back home you bathed when you could and that didn't always mean you had the luxury of privacy. With the expensive parts of his clothes neatly folded and away from the water Raph begun to wade into the pool up to his waist.

 

[Samara Khalid]

"I would still beat you," Samara teased as she also began to unlace her boots. She noticed that her hands started to move much slower as Raphael disrobed. She tilted her head to side and smiled with an appreciative look. He was even better looking without clothing and she hadn't thought he could look better. She, eventually, finished her boots and pulled them off before standing up.

She walked over to where he had neatly folded his discarded clothes and started to remove her own. She set her shirt and pants on top of her boots to try and keep the sand off of them. She was now only in her undergarments as the shuck walked over to the water. Samara smiled as she waded in to meet Raphael.

The water felt amazing even though she had just been in it. There was a different between water on fur and water on flesh. She let out a contented sigh as she came to stand next to her dark and broody date. "This is nice," she said softly to him with a smile that crinkled the corner of her eyes.

 

[Raphael]

"It is," he murmured as he weaved his hands skimmed over the surface of the lake, disturbing it just enough to cause little ripples that fled back towards the shore. When was the last time he had relaxed like this? He could almost feel the tension oozing out of his shoulders and wings where they had been tense for months. Without warning he suddenly ducked beneath the water so he was completely submerged. When he stood up he pushed back his soaking dark hair and then threw her a grin with wild abandon. For a split second there was a flash of him as he had been when he was younger and less burdened by the troubles.

"Let's see if you're as fast in this form swimming. To the waterfall," he winked and then dived forward setting off at a brisk front crawl.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara liked this more relaxed Raphael and he seemed to like it as well. As he took off towards the waterfall, she growled and started to swim after him. She could admit that she was a much stronger swimmer in her canine form, but she wasn't terrible in this form either. Samara was very close to catching him when they got to the waterfall, but he beat her by a hair. That hair of his catching her off guard with the start.

"I think you cheated, Raphael. You didn't start the race off fairly." To be fair, she hadn't started their run off fairly either but semantics. She could still stand here but barely so she treaded water instead. Raphael was taller than her by a good three inches so he shouldn't have any issues.

"I know I said it before, but I am really glad you came today. I like spending time with you," she swam closer to him at a leisurely pace, savoring the feel of the water and the sound of the waterfall.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael laughed at her playful protests to not winning as he slowly lay back in the water and let himself float. It was a hard thing to do with wings but they spread out like sails beneath him and helped maintain an odd, steady balance that kept him floating. It was peaceful laying there like that with just a friend for company. The worries and problems of his day to day life seemed distant out here and he sighed.

"I'm glad I came too. Sometimes I forget how important it is to just... have... fun," he smiled crookedly to himself then opened his eyes to look up and over at where she paddled. "I'll try to let you bully me into this more often."

 

[Samara Khalid]

"Bully," she huffed. "I would hardly say I bullied you. I didn't even pester you to my full extent, Raphael." Her voice held genuine happiness and amusement as she joined him in floating on her back.

Samara closed her eyes and smiled. "I do love this waterfall. It's peaceful and I never run into anyone here. It's a good place to come, relax, and think."

"I will definitely take on the challenge to force you to relax and have fun more. You need it and I..." She paused debating if she was going to say her next words, "I love your smile."

 

[Raphael]

Her admission was such a shock the puca nearly drowned. His feet abruptly hit the sharp rocks that littered the pool floor and he got a mouthful of water too, turning him from a relaxed picture of peace to a rather amusing shaken teenage boy. He thumped his chest and looked at her apologetically.

"I'm not used to getting compliments," he explained whilst his cheeks begun to burn. He was only used to people avoiding or shunning him. He was still struggling to wrap his head around the fact she wanted to be his friend and so it hadn't even occurred to him she might even like him...

No. He could be reading way too much into it. Running his hand through his hair he tried to get his beating heart under control.

"Thank you, and I wish you luck on your challenge - I can be quite stubborn," when he smiled this time it was nervously as though conscious now she was looking at that smile.

 

[Samara Khalid]

The floundering Raphael made Samara smile for a split second before she felt guilty. Gods, he was adorable. She swung her legs underneath her and came back to her treading water position. It was only a moment later that she found a rock that allowed her to stand comfortably and not worry about getting water in her mouth.

"Stubborn...you? Noooo," her sarcasm was palpable and her smile was genuine. She studied his handsome face and fought the urge to pull him closer and kiss him.

Samara reached out and gently touched his still reddened cheek. She didn't have anything else to say to him right now, but she just needed him to know that she was here and she cared about him.

 

[Raphael]

Sid would hit him round the back of the head right now if he could see how Raphael hesitated. What more do you want, Raph? For her to sit on your fucking face? That's what Lorcán would say certainly. But people went for the Prince not the Prince's friend. He turned it over every angle he could to see if there was some alternative angle for her interest but his position didn't offer power. There was no glory in being associated with him.

He audibly gulped.

"I-I-I'm not great with social situations like this," he stammered suddenly and cursed himself mentally for saying out loud.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara pulled her hand away from his cheek and looked down. Her own embarrassment creeping up into her cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable..." again. She was really on a roll with Raphael today. She just couldn't help it either. She liked him and she wanted to be there for him. She was just terrible at flirting apparently.

Samara. The Huntress of the Sluagh. Badass Black Shuck. She was turned into a nervous wreck around this handsome, broody Puca. She took a step back from Raphael, forgetting she was on a rock and not solid ground. She slipped back and went crashing into the water very unceremoniously.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael had opened his mouth to tell her she didn't need to apologise. It was quite comforting that they were both fucking awful at this. Thankfully it seemed fate would cut through the awkwardness with its own idea. All the puca could do was stare, opened mouthed, as Samara vanished beneath the water. Then he lunged forward after her both laughing and calling her name with a touch of worry.

"Are you okay?" he chuckled, hurling her by the arm out of the water and back to her feet. With his other hand he gently patted her back to help her cough up any water. He bit his lip to try not to laugh any more but lost the struggle with himself almost instantly.

 

[Samara Khalid]

"I am sooooo happy that I can bring you joy with my clumsiness." Samara was laughing too as she righted herself on her rock perch again. She smiled at him and shook her head. She hadn't dried off any from their swim over here, but she still felt extra wet dog like at the moment.

It was in that moment that Samara said fuck it. She smiled as she pulled Raphael close to her and without another word, she brought her lips to his. The kiss was soft and tentative. She was not sure if he was going to return it or push her away. She could feel her heartbeat quickening as she did the craziest thing she had ever done. She didn't take chances unless she knew it was a sure thing. He made her want to though.

 

[Raphael]

Panic.

Blind panic. The type that made your stomach do a flip and tie itself into a knot. He clumsily clutched at her to ensure she didn't fall, to keep her close, or maybe to stop himself from falling who knew. Raphael certainly didn't. His brain at least had kicked into gear enough to remind him that if he wanted this kiss to last longer than a few seconds he had to respond. He couldn't really pay any credence to the not so tiny voice in his mind that had told him he was stupid for even believing she liked him when she literally had her lips on his. So, in his blind panic he threw himself into it heedless of the consequences.

And found... he quite enjoyed it.

The tension left him second but agonising second as his lips pressed back firm but gentle, soft and sweet. His hands slid from where he gripped her upper arms, one to curl about her waist and the other up to cup her cheek and thread his fingers through the wet strands of her hair.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara felt the relief spread over her as he kissed her back and wrapped his arm around her waist. Her own hands traveled up his muscular chest before one roamed to the back of his head and the other stayed put. His kiss was so gentle and sweet and not at all what she would have expected by looking at him. After getting to know him some, it was spot on with his gentle nature outside of work.

The Hound wanted nothing more than to stay in this place kissing him all day. She opened her mouth slightly to deepen the kiss but she did not push it any further because she was still worried he would run away. Or fly away rather.

Samara eventually broke the kiss and smiled up at him shyly. She didn't move either of her hands though. She didn't want them to separate yet. His arm around her was strong and comforting. "I don't know what it is about you, Raphael, but I cannot help but like you. I cannot help wanting to be with you." She looked down and used the hand that was resting on his chest to tuck some of her wet hair behind her ear.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael let her lead, too terrified to push or take in case she pulled back and declared it all a cruel joke. Maybe it was a game Shucks played? It seemed doubtful but that didn't mean the fear didn't niggle at the back of his mind. When she pulled back he braced himself for the shoe to drop with his eyes still shut but when she only uttered more compliments and sweet things he finally plucked up the courage to look at her. A faint blush painted his cheeks.

"A terrible decision, really," he mused and dipped his head to rest his forehead against hers. "I'm dreadfully boring apparently," a teasing joke between brothers he was now sharing with Samara.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara chuckled and closed the very slight space between their faces to kiss him again with their foreheads still touching. She reveled in this closeness to him. "I don't think you are dreadfully boring, Raphael. I think you just need the right person to make you relax and enjoy life."

She had seen him smile with her more than he probably smiled with anyone else besides his brothers. Her hand rested on his cheek and studied his face with his handsome features and heart-stopping golden eyes. The silence stretched between them as she just smiled contentedly at him before kissing him once more.

 

[Raphael]

This moment was too good for someone like him, that voice whispered seductively in his ear. He tried to ignore it as best at he could, tried to bury it and enjoy the moment, but he knew when he was alone later that voice would come back stronger. For a man who could control others fears it was a bitter irony he couldn't get a handle on his own. He returned each kiss despite it and managed to find the simple joy in such a simple moment.

Eventually it was his turn to pull back and he slowly stretched his wings.

"It's getting quite cold in here," he murmured and tightened his grip around her waist. A small smirk a second later and then in one powerful stroke of his wings he took them both from the waters depths and sailed back towards the shore where he set her down with gentle care. "Are you... hungry?" he asked nervously.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara could see his internal struggle and all she wanted to do was hold him close. He returned her kisses though and that pleased her. She was getting cold, but she didn't say anything as his arm tightened around her.

Then they were moving.

One moment she was standing in the water with him, the next she was soaring through the air back towards the shore. Samara gasped and giggled in the same breath. When they landed in the sand, Raphael set her down gently and she laughed again. If that little bit of flight was awesome, she could understand how flying would beat running.

"Mmmm food. Yes, I am hungry. We did exert some energy to get here. What do you have in mind?"

 

[Raphael]

"Well... there's plenty of game," he ran a hand through his wet hair as he looked thoughtfully off towards the forest thicket. It wouldn't take either of them long to hunt something down to eat and cook. "There's plenty of fish too," he mused more to himself than anything else then glanced down at her, blinking a few droplets of water out of his eyes.

"Or we can head back and find something," there were plenty of restaurants around that they could no doubt find a table at even if the thought made him wince a little. Public spaces made him uncomfortable enough let alone when he was trying to figure out what this... was.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara wrinkled her nose at the last suggestion. She was a people person most of the time but she didn't want to have to clean up to go out. She was perfectly content in her wet, half dressed state. "No, I don't want to go somewhere. I like being here with you and nature."

She debated between game or fish. Both sounded good but she was no bear and catching fish was not on her list of things she excelled at. Land dwelling creatures were more her speed when she shifted.

"I am no fisherman, but I can hunt. I'll let you decide, I am easy to please with food. I love it all." She could eat pretty much anything and be happy. She was probably the least picky eater. Perhaps it was the dog part of her.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael chuckled and then let her go to stepped back to fetch his shirt and breeches.

"I can fish, but if you prefer to hunt I don't mind hunting either," he shrugged on his shirt then stepped into his bottom half. With nothing to dry himself the white fabric clung to his torso and begun to turn opaque. He eyed up the boots for a moment and then seemed to decide against them, curling his toes into the sand instead.

"If you think I'll get in the way of your hunt I can always start getting the fire ready," he teased with a small smile, revealing he hadn't completely been in the dark about how she been slowing down for his benefit.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara did not put her clothes on like he had. If she was going to shift, she could dry some before she got dressed again. She watched his now wet shirt as it outlined the muscles on his strong chest. She liked this view almost as much as the last. Almost.

The shuck playfully grimaced when Raphael teased her. He had known that she was going slower than normal and now she felt bad. "I wouldn't say that you would get in my way, but someone should start the fire." She smiled at him once more before she shifted.

The blackness enveloped her as her body shifted from human to giant black wolf dog. She huffed once and then took off into the trees. It did not take her more than a half hour to come back with two large hares between her jaws. She jump ran over to Raphael and dropped them into the sand like a dog bringing a ball to its owner.

After her very excited return, she shifted back to her fae form. She wiped the blood off of her mouth with the back of her hand and then went to rinse off that hand before she got dressed and cleaned the rabbits. Samara slipped on her pants and shirt, but left her shoes off like Raphael had.

Samara pulled her dagger out and grabbed the first rabbit to start cleaning and preparing it. Normally she would have just eaten it raw in her canine form but she was trying to be civilized around this puca she liked.

"I hope you like rabbit because that was pretty much all I could find right now." She smiled at him and started to pull the skin down from the legs to where the head was once attached.

 

[Raphael]

When Samara left Raphael shook his head with an amused half smile then set off on his own hunt of a sort to gather firewood. There was enough to start the fire but to keep it going he would have to cut some of the branches down. He winced to think of the harsh lashing the gardeners would give him if he attacked a random, young sapling still in its prime so he spent the time wandering to find a tree that had the tell tale signs of decay. If he felled some of that he would be doing the whole jungle a favour. Plucking an axe from the between he then set about to work.

By the time Samara had returned there was a healthy load of wood piled up, some chopped and a stack that wasn't, and the fire was getting to just the right point for food. The puca fed a few more split logs to the flames and glanced up at her comment.

"Rabbit's fine, thank you," he smiled and lowered his eyes back to the task.

 

[Samara Khalid]

Samara smiled back at Raphael as she continued to clean the first rabbit. She realized then that she was looking like a wild animal right now. There was smeared and drying blood on her face and blood on her hands. She could only imagine what Raphael was thinking of her right now. He would probably be done with her as soon as they returned from this trip.

She sighed and set the first rabbit down on a nearby rock so it wouldn't get covered in sand. She repeated the process with the second rabbit in silence. She was afraid to draw his attention to her at the moment. She set the second rabbit down by the first and then walked to the waters edge. The shuck washed her hands off and made sure to clean her lips off completely.

She returned to the fire, the raw rabbits, and Raphael. "Umm..." This is embarrassing to admit. "I do not know how to cook over an outdoor fire like this..." She trailed off and looked down embarrassed. She just ate whatever she caught raw if she was out in nature. She would shift to hunt and then just eat while in her canine form. It made sense.

 

[Raphael]

Raphael's brows climbed into his hairline before crashing back down into a thoughtful frown. Of course she wouldn't know, she was a Shuck, she'd just eat it raw. Pucas might have been shapeshifters but their stomachs didn't really settle well eating what the animal they turned into ate. They could, of course, but when they turned back it could come back to make them ill. That and Raphael found raw food generally nauseating. It reminded him too much of the bloody remains of fae hanging in his workshop.

"It's fine," he soothed and once he was content the fire would be fine fetched up the rabbits and took them over to a flat rock where he'd already set out some wild herbs he'd found wood picking. "If you want to eat the other raw... if you prefer it that way... I can just cook one," he offered as he begun to sprinkle and rub the herbs along the raw meat.