Completed Graceless and Divine

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria found her cheeks twitching from the effort of holding a smile, the muscles unused to holding such a genuine smile for so long, but it was becoming quite the habit in the company of Kilien.

So was the pink rushing to her cheeks. Against her olive complexion, it warmed to a light red, but her eyes never left his. "I think I do like kissing you... I can still feel them tingling..." And her hand came up to lightly press at her bottom lip, brushing them back and forth as the memory of his lips on her own played through her mind. "It will not be different? What am I to do if I see you and want nothing more than to kiss you despite people being around?"

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Kilien fixed her with a raised, quizzical brow, "Weren't you the one telling me earlier how much you did not care for what others think?"

He leaned in, bumping his head gently against hers, "If you want to kiss me, then just do it."

There was hardly a circumstance wherein he could think of himself refusing such an advance from her.

Well... there were a few.

"Maybe just not in front of the Proctors..." he smiled, "they're not big on... fraternizing."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria scrunched her nose delicately, pouting at the thought of her having said such a thing before. That seemed to have changed now, the idea of their class seeing her infatuated with him? She did not want to give them a glimpse into this part of her life, but what was she to do when he could charm her so easily?

She will have to decide on that in the moment.

But Vittoria scoffed, giving Kilien a chastising look. "Oh, I would never act inappropriately before the Proctors. Not even in class." And then she stole her kiss. The tingling of her lips turned into a minor jolt of energy, fueling her to spend more time against his lips but Vittoria pulled away with a tortured look.

"Goodness, I cannot stop myself!" She whispered, perplexed.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

The look. The kiss. The exasperation.

Kilien's chuckle grew from a low rumble to one that pushed through a toothy grin.

If she thought the desire to kiss was bad she was in for an alarming awakening if things began to ...progress. Kilien forcibly pushed images of ravaging her in an empty classroom on a desk out of his mind and instead decided to indulge her desires by hooking her chin with his free hand to pull her back to his lips. The arm that looped up around behind her coiled round, pulling her to him into a snug embrace and a kiss that pressed into her to steal away her breath.

The hand holding her chin followed the line of her jaw to her neck, thumb circling the cup of her ear.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Never had she felt her heart soar up and fell with such sensation, that Vittoria melted against Kilien the moment his finger crooked beneath her chin and brought her back towards him. The carriage ride back to the Academy was their last chance of being in this bubble of just the two of them, and she was glad that the hour would just be for them.

She was wrapped up in his embrace, her hands moving to rest at his chest as he pulled her in, and her eyes fluttered closed as her senses focused on the feel of him.

Her hands clawed, scratching against his jacket as she scrunched it beneath her fists and held herself there against him. She was breathless, breathing against his lips but stealing kisses even still, that she began to chuckle softly as she readjusted her position on the seat beside him. Turning more inwards, half in his lap now, Vittoria's earnest affection for him did not tire.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Half-in wasn't enough. Boots shifting back to the floor, the hand on her neck slipped down to her opposite thigh and scooped beneath to pull her fully onto his lap and against his chest. Parting from her lips in order to nuzzle against her, nosing through her hair to gain access to the side of her face where his scruff brushed against her skin as he slowly pressed a line of kisses back toward her ear.

"You know what's great about kisses?" he murmured to her, "You can give them anywhere, anytime you want."

Arms snaked around her middle and hips, he smiled into her hair and breathed in slow and deep, "Here."

He kissed at her earlobe.

"And here."

A little further down.

"And here..."

And kissed against her neck.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria forgot all about the good and gracious gods the moment Kilien kissed her ear. She had thought she would have passed out from the way her breath was lodged in her lungs, unable to come out into the world for he had stolen her ability to breathe and function. Sensations shivered throughout her body, causing Vittoria to stiffen and pull herself ever closer against him.

By the time his kisses trailed to the bared flesh of her neck, her hair having been swept aside the moment he pulled her to sit onto his lap, Vittoria let out that held breath.

"Kilien."

She had sounded surprised, elated, and downright feverish. Vittoria gasped as his lips brushed her neck after that gentle kiss, an emotion and feeling foreign to her. Life now flooding through her, she squirmed upon his lap but did not dare to move herself away from his kissing lips. As much of a rush he had given her, Vittoria was well aware she was diving deep into the waters of her affections for him, his own for her the moon above her waves, and controlling her tides.

His kisses had been outright incendiary.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Any other woman he wagered he could have her completely in this carriage with a few choice words and a strategy of touch. Much as he wanted to push his luck, put his teeth and hands on her, he checked himself the moment she uttered his name. A slow, deep, steadying breath filled his senses with her scent and the wash of pheromones she'd been steadily giving off more and more strongly as the evening progressed.

When he exhaled it was through a long and low rumble of want and rising frustration with the only person he had to blame for all this: himself.

"Vittoria..." he mumbled back to her, head now burrowed into the crook of her neck and arms snugly holding her against him. Nuzzling at her neck, his lips brushing against her skin, he sighed again.

"Tell me to stop or I might not be able to."

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria rested her head against his shoulder, tangled up against him once more this evening as he asked her to make the decision.

Stop or... why would she want to stop?

His kisses excited her in a way she never experienced before. It left her feeling so admired, so cherished that it filled places in her soul she never thought held enough space to welcome it all.

Vittoria did not speak.

Her head tilted, angled to press her own lips in answer to the side of his neck. She trailed kisses the moment she realised the feel of his neck was addictive. How soft her kisses could feel against the pulse at his neck, so inviting with the taste of him that her tongue took a taste.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Well that... hadn't gone the way he thought it would. Though he supposed he should expect the unexpected with this particular Initiate - certainly nothing of this day had gone the way he thought it would. The exact opposite, really, considering how it started and the heated ire she'd been spitting at him this morning.

Perhaps this wasn't so bad. Letting her take the wheel allowed her to move at her own pace and while it still might drive him mad with itchy, wanting fingers he could wallow in her affections without worrying about a misstep of his own. At this point, nothing she might do to him would raise his offense, so she had next to nothing to worry about for her part.

So wallow he did, and let her attentions rekindle in him the warmth of acceptance he'd not felt from anyone at the Academy for the last two years. He couldn't say no to it, as hungry as he was for this feeling, and it drove a third, contented sigh from him that relaxed his arms around her. Hands shifting, one moving to gently knead at her outer thigh while the other stroked up her back and through her hair, all the while he remained with his head leaned against her shoulder.

"I'm going to have to stop cutting classes so I can find you in the hall between them," his thumb drew circles along the fabric of her pants.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Feeling him relax and be contented against her sang to her. Vittoria herself pulled away to rest her head on his shoulder and bury her face into the crook of his neck. Her hands relaxed, circling around him so that she could embrace him.

"You should not be cutting classes to begin with, Kilien." And she smiled, the hand resting on his opposite shoulder moved so that she could brush her fingers from his neck and down across his shoulder until the traced the fall of his arm that wrapped around her. "And such a thought makes me wonder if you were told to join the elective class on poisons."

Her smile grew wider. How her day had gone, she would not have believed she would have softened for someone like him. That in fact, she was now Vittoria Sky Larrainth, a girl that received her first kiss this very night.

She wanted to tell King. Share with him how perfect her day had gone, but she knew he held distaste for almost everyone in their class. He would be happy that she was happy. Perhaps that would be shocking to him, but that was how Vittoria felt now.

Happy.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

"Nnnn-" a noncommittal sound in response to not skipping classes. He wasn't so sure he agreed with her there but he'd not openly say so.

Letting her get cozy, content to have her settled against him and slightly relieved to have the pressure of intimacy lifted from the moment, Kilien pulled her knees across his lap fully to give her a more secure seat. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes, locking his hands together around her hips to keep her from slipping away.

"Mm," he had to think on how he'd ended up in the poisons class, the sound reverberating within his chest, "Harkenov may have given me an ultimatum."

And here he was: having nearly died from an allergic reaction and now holding the same girl that had stabbed him only a few hours ago simply for the sake of seeing him heal.

Kilien lifted his boots once more to settle on the opposite bench, legs crossed at the ankles, and made himself comfortable - only now with the most fetching catch in his arms and the feel of her lips and fingers still lingering on his neck.

"I think it's my favorite class now." He smiled and squeezed her.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

She could not recall the last time she embraced someone like this. Perhaps this was another first for her, experienced with Kilien.

Vittoria snorted and chuckled, her warm breath tickling his neck as she leaned her head back to look up at him through dark lashes. "It is not even a class that runs longer than four weekly classes."

Which could be all the appeal he would need to call it his favourite class.

Vittoria brought her hand up to cup the side of his jaw, her thumb stroking the stubble and his beard. "We should work on our assignment tomorrow. After classes?" She would have suggested over breakfast, but given the late hour, it was best she should get as much sleep as she ought to before a day of classes and training. The day had begun to weigh on her, but she refused to close her eyes just yet.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Four weekly classes.

Hm. He hadn't the heart to tell her he was going to be missing from that last class on account of reasons. Though he'd have to say something sooner, rather than later. They'd need to present their findings early ... or a week later, depending on what the attending Proctor decided. But he'd be away for the final class.

An eye peeked open to see what that hand was up to.

"Sounds like a date," Kilien said with a smirk, twisting his head to the side to kiss-nibble at her hand briefly.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria was unsuccessful after a few quiet moments. Her eyes began to fall, closing for a breath or two before fluttering open as she fought to stay away. Her hand slid to his neck the next moment sleep tried to pull her under the sheets of rest, and the girl began to give in.

Her breathing came softly and slowly, comfortable against Kilien that she would not stir until they had reached the Academy after near two hours journey.

Upon wakening up, Vittoria grumbled loudly, face scrunching at having been disturbed, but sat up on Kilien's lap and looked around tiredly. Nothing was registering quickly, and eventually she reached for the book bag and the basket of berries. She groaned at the movement with protest, too sleepy to use her words.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

Kilien's arms, still locked around her, squeezed her tightly to him again.

"Five more minutes," he muttered into her.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

Vittoria fell back against him, grumbling still. "Do you think we can sleep in here all night?"

She did not want to move beyond this carriage, nor did she want to return to her room alone and not see him. Parting from him so soon almost drew out a ferality from her, a beast that would fight tooth and nail to be beside Kilien at all times... and yet there were rules put in place. Initiates were not to be found in the opposite gender's rooms, but she sleepily wondered if she could use her Concealment magic to hide Kilien in her wardrobe if a Proctor came to do checks.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

While he could sleep just about anywhere, including five stories up in a tree, Kilien rather disliked the idea of sleeping in a carriage. There were so many better options, like a bed of ferns in the Black Forest or on the roof of the conservatory where he could see the full expanse of the night sky.

Or, you know, Vittoria's bed. But that was likely wishful thinking and not something he'd push his luck on so early into whateverthefeth this was. She'd talked about things being different and while he was more than happy for them to be so, part of him almost wished she'd wake up in the morning and forget about the whole thing. His thoughts briefly wandered back to her tea leaves and what he'd seen, and neglected to tell her about, in that reading.

But Vittoria was warm and smelled like ripe peaches and bonfire smoke.

He grumbled into a sigh at the back of her neck, "Nope." The carriage driver would likely be unpleasant about it. Releasing her to tend to her things, he eventually followed after her out of the carriage and offered to carry something for her as they made their way back toward the Academy from the stablehouse. A waxing crescent moon faintly illuminated the way in the clear evening sky.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

With another grumpy noise, Vittoria collected her things and gratefully handed the books off to Kilien. Walking back towards the dormitories felt like an age, but the moment they got to the building for the girls, she turned towards him.

"I do not like this part of our time together." The exhaustion was slowly seeping from her eyes, taking on more of that alertness she was known for. "The parting of ways."

But she did not reach for the door to admit herself into the dormitories. It was past curfew, and boys were most definitely not allowed to enter at this time. Vittoria still played by the rules, but this was not her first time out after lights out.

"Give me your jacket."

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

"My jacket?" he echoed, a sleepy sort of smile on his face despite the mild confusion. It didn't feel chilly to him, but he recalled that girls tended to run colder. He assumed she was cold and thought nothing more of it. Passing her the books, he shrugged off his jacket and lifted it, leaning forward to bring his arms up, over, and then down around her head to place it securely over her shoulders.

Snug as a bug.

A cute bug.

"Anything else?" he raised his brows over his smile, head tilted in mild amusement.

 

[Vittoria Larrainth]

From the book bag she procured the tome in which he wanted to read first before she could let Proctor Krixus borrow it. It was wrapped in paper to protect it's condition, but Vittoria smiled up at him. "Thank you for your jacket. It will keep me warm in bed tonight."

It was his and that was all the comfort she needed to help soften the disappointment of parting ways for the evening.

"Gives me a chance to see you again tomorrow to return it."

As if their assignment they were to work on was not reason enough to see him, or to ask him what he thought on the book as he progressed through it, or even the promise of pancakes. Vittoria wanted every excuse to see him, and the maddening reason to why only sent her into a fit of smiles and giggles as she pulled him towards her by gripping his shirt and stole a lingering kiss.

 

[Kilien Basmarc]

"Hmmmm..." those brows shifted right back into a furrow over a smile that held back some very choice words on the matter of other options she had for keeping warm in bed. Namely himself.

Don't say it.

He bit his tongue but his eyes did rove about her in his jacket with more than a hint of want. Enough that she had to do next to nothing to get that goodnight kiss. He would have done it himself had she not made the move. A low rumble sounded in his chest as she lingered on his lips. His body wanted to walk her backward into that door and press her against it.

Fruit and books forgotten.

But he didn't, and watched her very keenly when she finally parted from him. Even when she pressed the book at him he did not look away. Kilien Basmarc was still biting his tongue on things that he desperately wanted to say but knew he shouldn't.

When he broke his gaze from her, he gave a sniff and gently cleared his throat, "Tomorrow then." Tapped the book against his hand and then leaned forward toward her for one more kiss on the cheek, that empty hand reaching down to pluck a peach from the basket as he did so. With a smirk, he tossed the peach as he straightened, caught it, then took a bite as he turned away to head off to find somewhere comfy to sleep for the night.