Private Tales Hag's Head Intrusion

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Leandra fell silent as Gella spoke, there was an anger he held. As much as he tried to disregard feelings, it seemed he had plenty to go around. It made her understand him just a little bit more, and she felt a touch of empathy as he exclaimed his truth.

"Gella.." She paused, almost unwilling to invoke that anger upon herself. What hurt him so much to make him this way? She reached out to touch his shoulder, but pulled her hand away again hastily. She didn't know how the unpredictable Emerald leader would take such a thing. Still, when they were alone, perhaps she could speak on his feelings, if he let her.

He acted as if everyone were a tool, herself included. He needed more than that. They both did. "Look, I'm willing to work with you. I don't care about my image, I don't care that you don't care about me as a person..but Gella, I'd also be willing to at least be a friend if you'd let me. I do enjoy your company more than I'd like to admit, and well, I think you could use a companion too." She shrugged and let it drop for now, to let him muse over it, or explode at her. She was prepared either way.

The Hag was fast approaching, and their boots were muffled by the snow as they trudged along. "I wouldn't even mind if you made a show in front of the others that you owned me, if you feel it necessary. As a bed partner, a lackey, whatever. I just want to help at this point." She didn't even realize what she was saying, so concerned she had suddenly become for Gella. She wanted to try to know him, maybe help him sort out his feelings if he'd let her. She was lonely too, after all.

Gella Rerra
 
Gella suddenly stopped, not far from the tall flight of stairs that led up to the Hag's Head. Up to this point, he'd allowed everything Leandra had said to slide across his shoulders without much thought to their meaning. She had a tendency to fall off-topic, he'd learned.

This was different. She wasn't musing on about nothing of importance, trying to make idle conversation with him. She was trying to get inside him, to be more than what she'd been hired for. Immediately walls rose in Rerra's mind as he turned to face her with a stern expression. Marin wasn't the first to try and get in his head-- he wasn't falling for it so easily, either.

"Why?" He asked simply, suspicion dripping from his voice. "What do you have to gain by being my... what did you call it... 'bed partner?'" Such an arrangement would earn her no allies in his gang, and indeed he'd have to go to extremes to display that he was in control of the situation. So, there must be something she was after, to propose such a thing. "I know how it works, you wait until I trust you, and give you what you want, before you go for my throat. I've seen it before, I've lived it before."

His mother, The Hag, Josai, every time Gella had placed even the smallest amount of faith in somebody, they had failed him and betrayed him. No, trusting people led to pain, and the constant ache in Gella's hands was all the reminder he needed.

Instead of moving up the stairs, Gella all but marches up to Leandra, stopping mere inches from her and leaning in until his forehead nearly touched her own.

"This is the third time you've done this, Lea." He grumbled. "Made some off-color comment about the pair of us. I don't play these games." There was some anger in his voice, but it seemed offset by frustration, perhaps confusion. Leandra was consistently throwing him off with her slight advances, and he wasn't continuing this partnership until he'd figured it out. "If you have something to say to me, something you want from me... You tell me now, and stop wasting my time with play."

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra raised a hand defensively at his approach. She had been prepared for him to get worked up, but still he was unpredictable. It was clear that he wasn't understanding why she was saying what she was saying.

Lea wasn't trying to play games, or fuck him over. She had a desire to help him, he was obviously broken, but so was she. They could help each other, if he'd allow it. Her interactions with him had caused an empathy for him, a desire to be more than just a lackey. A friend at least.

His forehead nearly touched hers at this point, and the expression on his face wasn't a pleasant one. She took the journal from under her arm and shoved it into his.

"Not everyone has a motivation beyond their words Gella. I'm not trying to play games with you, I've decided to trust you. I thought maybe we could at least be friends." She was feeling unexpectedly hurt, and her tone shifted, hardened. "I thought maybe we could help each other, but it's clear I'm wasting my time."

His breath was hot on her face still and she took a step back and gave him a mock bow. "You've gotten what you wanted, I'll leave you to it Boss." In reality she had wanted to embrace him and reassure him, but she felt stung. Her feelings were confusing and she didn't even understand how she felt about him in the first place. She turned on her heel to leave him standing there, her face red with embarrassment for even trying.

"You know where to find me."

Gella Rerra
 
She left him there, fuming and red in the face as she bowed and walked back to the Hag's Head alone. Perhaps there was nothing in her words that should have upset Gella, but he was absolutely livid. Who in the hell did this conniving bitch think she was? To act so casual around him? Like he was nothing to be afraid of, like she was going to ever understand him?

Leandra Marin, some street trash that had wandered in and picked a fight with him, who swore herself to serve him because of the far grimmer alternative, now had the gall to claim she desired his friendship? More than that, she claimed to trust him. Not in the way that an expendable trusts their superior, but as an equal. He'd done nothing to warrant that from Marin, and he certainly wasn't seeking it!

But what could he say? Nothing. There were no witty comebacks or turnabout insults that came to his mind even as she left earshot. The only thing in his head was throbbing anger, burning frustration, and aching waves of confusion.

Why is she being nice to me?

It felt foreign, even disgusting. Gella had been careful to maintain his place alone at the top of his mountain, with enough space to push down those who would seek to join him with the heel of his boot. Now this strange girl was nearly at his level, but she wasn't trying to take his seat, but sit next to him instead, so she claimed.

It didn't make any sense, and Rerra stood there running over it for what must have been at least an hour before turning to wander back to the Tavern in a haze. He threw the door open recklessly, meandering into the busy, noisy room full of Emeralds. Without a second thought, Gella turned and gripped the edge of the nearest table, flipping it over and sending mugs and food onto the floor with a thunderous crash.

"Everybody to your rooms. Now."

They scattered like rats, not looking to try their luck with their obviously enraged leader. Gella kicked an empty mug out of his way as he walked straight for the bar, dropping the journal on top of it and hopping over to retrieve some wine.

A lot of wine.

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra had practically stomped her way down the stairs, slamming the door to her room with enough force to rattle the frame. She stared angrily at her bare room trying to will the angry tears away.

Why was he so goddamn stubborn? Not everyone was out to get him, she thought that a common goal and working together would lead to a friendship that she didn't know if she wanted anymore. Why had she even bothered trying? What a waste of breath and energy. There was no helping him, not if he was so hell bent against it.

After some time, and a good bit of fuming, she made her way back up to the bar. She needed a drink, or twelve. Upon her ascent, she paused at the top. Gella was at the bar, and there was a table and all it's contents on the floor.

Refusing to look at him, she opted to deal with his mess. He certainly wasn't going to do it, he'd make some poor soul deal with it. Leandra gently lifted the table, putting it back in its place. Once she finished with that, she went to her knees, picking up scraps of food and putting it on a plate that already sat on the floor. All the while she kept her face hidden from him, not wanting to deal with him or one of his outbursts.

Gella Rerra
 
Gods, was she back already?

Gella didn't even need to turn around to know who it was tidying up the place. There was only one person hardheaded enough to come back up here after he'd called for curfew. Even if she hadn't heard, the fact nobody else was upstairs drinking should have been more than enough of a hint. First she embarrassed him, now she disobeyed his orders?

He brought the lips of a bottle to his lips and drank, growling into the glass. He couldn't bring himself to care enough to lash out at her again. If she wanted to tidy up like a goddamned maid, she could go right ahead. Just so long as she didn't expect him to feel bad for her.

Another bottle drained into his belly, and she was still wandering about with busy work.

What in the hell was she waiting for? Did she expect an invitation? Or maybe pity, like she'd tried to serve him? Lords, that had been the worst part, that little glimmer in her eye as she stood there and felt sorry for him. Even in his stupor, he knew what it was, and he hated it. Rerra had worked his entire adult life to place himself in a position where nobody would ever pity him.

But every barrier he placed, she so easily evaded. Just like a thief...

"Ugh... If you're going to linger around like a gnat, at least talk." He eventually spoke, more to break his own line of thought than anything else. "You can think me insane all you like, but I've never been keen on making conversation with myself, aloud or otherwise..."

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra pointedly ignored Gella as she fixed his mess. He was a damn child sometimes, and she wanted to tell him as much. Now was not the time for that, they both needed a moment after their scene outside. She stood, picking up the tankards and plates she had gathered.

He spoke, and she froze, tense for a moment before letting her muscles relax. She brought the dishes to the bar, setting them down with a clatter. Leandra finally let her gaze settle on him, eyes flashing through several emotions before settling on sad.

She let a small sigh escape her lips, and she sat opposite him. "You know, I don't think you're insane. I think you've built this persona of power around you, built walls to protect yourself. Insane? No, I don't think so."

She touched his hand gently with her fingertips, her lips tilted down in a slight frown. "I think you're lonely and you don't know it. Wouldn't it he nice to have someone you can count on at your back? I know you run things, and you have your thugs, but are they really there for you Gella?" She pulled her hand away before it angered him, she seemed to do that easily. "I just wanted to help, I thought maybe it would be nice for you to relax your burdens with someone. I shouldn't have pushed, I'm sorry."

That urge to touch his cheek resurfaced, what was it that pulled this out of her? She had distanced herself from everyone, so why did she desire to be so close to him?

Gella Rerra
 
Gella seemed reluctant to look at Leandra as she dropped the plates down and sat on the other side of the bar, as though making eye contact with her would be showing some sort of weakness. He didn't snap at her this time, not when she tried to comfort him with words, not when she dared touch his gloved hand. It was too late, and he was too exhausted to be angry again.

Or maybe it was just the wine, hell if he knew.

"I don't rely on anybody. It's only asking for trouble." Rerra grumbled back to her, bringing his head down to rest against the lips of the bottle in his hand. "People only care about their own wants and needs. When it comes time to make a choice, if it's you or them, they'll always choose themselves. That's how it's always been."
Gella wasn't about to regale her with the tragic story of his youth, the version that hadn't been twisted into a fable by his men and the fearful townspeople. They would tell her he mercilessly cleaved the head off of his adoptive mother, the only woman who cared for him, in cold blood. That he drank from her skull and ripped at her body until his hands were calloused and scarred.

He'd embraced that version, because it made him feared, made him a figure of intimidation.

In reality, killing the Hag that his tavern was named for had been the last desperate attempt of a child at the end of his rope to escape an endless cycle of abuse and pain. The scars on his hands were punishments for missed time limits and perceived slights; pulled fingernails, sliced webbing, and burned palms and fingertips.

"I have to own this city, Marin!" He slammed his fist down on the bar as she removed her hand, albeit with far less force than before. "I refuse to be taken advantage of! I refuse to be put in a position of weakness! I refuse to let anybody have power over me ever again!" He was more or less barking, but the fire behind his voice was gone, exhausted.

Gella released the bottle, and put his hand up to his face, letting out a deep sigh.

"The moment I relax, the moment I let somebody close... I know what will happen. The same as its always happened. My Mother, The Hag, Joia... They've all stabbed me in the back and left me. I don't want to go through it again. I can't, Lea."

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra fell quiet as Gella sat there, sullen and distant. There was a slight shift, he wasn't snapping at her, wasn't angry with her. He was trusting her to an extent, even if he didn't realize it. She wasn't about to point it out, it wouldn't help in the least.

She let him vent, she would speak after. He needed this, she could feel that he did. She thought of her own betrayals in life. She had trusted others with her life, and they had tried to snuff hers out. She could understand how he was feeling to an extent. Still, she remained hopeful that she would belong somewhere, maybe even belong here.

She flinched slightly as his fist hit the counter, but he did not have the force and conviction as he had earlier. She could feel his anguish, and she wanted to comfort him though she did not know how.

"You don't have to trust me, or let me in. I won't push for you to. I'm here if ever you decide you need someone to dull the ache of being alone. I am choosing to trust you, I want to know the real you. I was angry at you, when I thought you tried to have me killed. When you bound me and forced me to join you. Yet, despite all that, I do enjoy being around you, I do want to befriend you. You've been honest with me from the start."


Lea reached out with less hesitation this time, brushing the hair from his forehead delicately, an effort to soothe. "If you want, I'll leave you alone, but if you want me to stay, I wouldn't mind that either." She pulled away, scooting her stool out as she spoke, her words soft, her eyes gentle. He was fragile, a keg waiting to explode. He needed someone, even if it wasn't her.

Gella Rerra
 
Gella flinched as her hand neared, but he didn't pull away. If Leandra accomplished nothing else on this night, she had gotten Gella Rerra, the hardheaded leader of the Emeralds, to listen to her words without even a peep of interruption. That in and of itself was no small feat, and something few could say they'd managed.

As her hand trailed softly across his forehead, Gella's glazed eyes looked down at the wooden surface of the bar, sunken and exhausted. With his rage depleted, he was forced to consider what Marin said to him. The earnest pleas from her lips that she meant him well, that she truly wished to be some sort of companion to him... Gella wanted to believe her. The socially-starved half-elf desperately wished he could simply accept such an offer of friendship with a smile and nod.

But it just wasn't that simple. There was too much that he'd lost-- Too many haunting memories flooded back into his head every time he even considered it.

Lea pulled away, and Gella's gaze rose to follow her. For a split-second, his arm raised up as it to stop her, but the stubborn elf held it in midair before his hand dared to seek hers. Through all that he'd done to Marin, she still sought his company. She didn't look at his actions as evil or morally bankrupt, she saw them as the nature that had been instilled in him by his past.

Rerra hated when she was right, he was finding.

"I..." He opened his mouth and spoke, voice devoid of the attitude he always carried with him. Instead, his tone was quiet, almost meek, even. "I don't know what I want, Lea. I wish it were as simple as letting you be close to me. I just... I don't know how. It's not in my nature."

Scowling, he lowers his arm and shakes his head. The hair she'd just brushed aside fell back over his face again.

"Nobody has ever treated me the way you do. It's different. It's foreign. It frustrates me, because I don't know how I'm supposed to feel about it."

Leandra Marin
 
Lea watched him carefully, her eyes roving over his defeated frame. He had let her speak, there was no outburst or angry words. It had been the first time since she had met him, that he had let her do so. Gella had let his mask fall just a little, and she knew it was a monumental moment for the half elf.

As she stood, her palms flat against the wood of the bar, she shushed him softly as he laid bare his feelings. A wisp of a smile lay on her lips. Even though he more than likely didn't realize it, his honesty opened her heart to him even more.

"I'm not expecting the world Gella. I'm not expecting anything other than what you've already offered. This right here, this is all that I want. Just be honest with me. I don't expect you to trust me, but I hope that one day you can."

She reached out again, tenderly lifting his chin. She gave him a soft smile, lifting her fingers from his skin, her eyes meeting his with fervent conviction. "Whatever you want Gella, it's yours."

Gella Rerra
 
His face lifted with her hand, but his eyes were skittish, avoiding staring directly back at her. This time it was not a display of arrogance or disrespect, but one of fear. Again she spoke of what he wanted, but still he knew not what that was.

All that he did know, in his emotional and drunken haze, was that it was something he hadn't felt before. And just as they did with all unknowns, every bone in his body screamed at him to lash out at it, to scare it into retreat so that he did not have to confront it further.

At this point, she was standing up beside him as he sat at the bar. It was a bit of an awkward position, so brushing her hand away, gently enough so that it was clear it wasn't out of annoyance, he stood as well, the legs of the stool screeching against the floor as he leaned forward on the surface of the bar. "Normally that'd be what I want to hear." He replied with a hint of humor in his voice. "It's a little more confusing when I don't even know what there is to take.

When he told her he didn't know what he wanted, that extended perhaps a bit further than she'd realized. Nevertheless, he let out a short, slightly less bitter laugh as he tilted his head to face her. "One thing I do know is..." He raised one hand off of the bar and pointed at her with a tired smirk. "You're the best hire I've ever made, you crazy fuckin' thief."

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra hovered, not sure if she should leave or stay. She was seeing him in a vulnerable light, and it made it hard for her to walk away. She realized she was leaving everything up to him, but perhaps she needed to face her own indecision and show him something she wanted. The desire to feel close to someone echoed in her own bones, and for some reason, she just seemed to click with Gella, despite his unpredictable demeanor, there was more to him that she was seeing under the surface. The desire to explore the depths of his mind had become something she was almost desperate to achieve.

Gella stood beside her now, and she bit her lip as she looked to him. She had a choice to make, but she wasn't sure that what she was wanting to do was the right move on her part. He seemed mentally worn, and receptive to her. They were facing each other, and he had been gentle with her in these last few moments together. She smiled at him, shaking her head slightly. "You give me too much credit, I had intended to try and kill you at one point." She laughed softly, her expression soft as studied him.

Then, she leaned in and kissed him.

Gella Rerra
 
For a while, she just stared at him. For all the progress Leandra had made in getting past his defenses, her follow-up needed some work. Gella raised an eyebrow, looking across her features as if trying to discern what in the hell was running through her mind now. Another thing he found so damned difficult about her, she was too damned hard for him to read. One minute she was flirting with him, the next she'd look like she wanted to completely dismember him. At least he came out and said what he wanted to do. That, or he simply did it.

Finally she smiled, and Gella felt his head tilt. Good! If she'd fuckin' frowned when he'd buttoned down and given her a legitimate compliment he would have tossed her pretty ass over the damned bar! He didn't do compliments, and when he did, they weren't given lightly! Be a shame if he had to knock her down a peg right when he was starting to grow a little bit fond of her, but he was starting to think she might enjoy it.

"You give me too much credit, I had intended to try and kill you at one point."

The sleepy smirk resting on his lips turned into a wide grin as she finally found something to fire back at him, and he waved a hand beside his face dramatically, dismissing her claim as if it were the most unimportant thing she'd ever said to him. "At one point, she says." Rerra huffs, leaning against the bar, that incredible cockiness slowly returning to him. "If you wanted me dead you could have killed me at your father's place. Locked me in that cellar. None of my boys would ever have found me, and you know it."

Gella holds up a finger, shooting a wink and a snicker her way, "Oh, and that flirting you tried on the way back with the wine! No, you're too sweet on me to kill me. Got all worked up when you had me pinned against that wall didn--"

Gella's mouth often started situations, but this time his words had brought him consequences that even he wasn't prepared for. Before he could tease her any further, she surged forward, capturing his lips against hers without another word. His hands rose defensively, muscles pulled taut and his skin warmed to a boil as where he'd been flapping his gums one moment, the next he felt her tongue sliding its way in between his lips.

Every inch of Rerra screamed at him to fight it, to push her away, to lop off her damned skull for this!

But he didn't. His hands came down to her waist, his eyes slid closed, and he pulled her in closer. Maybe it was the exhaustion, or maybe it was the wine, but some part of him, buried for as long as he could remember, wanted this.

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra didn't know why she had done it, just that she knew it had to be done. There was an almost morbid curiosity to seek out this weird attraction she had for him. Was it the fact that he was dangerous? Was it because she wanted to not be the one in control for a change? She didn't know the answers, but this was one way of finding out. Her biggest worry was that he had been drinking, and the amount and his state of mind was unclear to her, would he be angry with her when dawn came tomorrow? It was too late to turn back, her lips were already against his.

She had cut his words off, her hands flexed to touch him, but she kept them unraised. She could already feel how tense he had become, and she feared touching him further would only make things worse. He relaxed though, after a moment. He rested his hands against her waist, drew her in closer. Leandra finally brought her hands up, wrapping them loosely around his neck as her tongue sought his, in this new battle they were partaking in.

She knew now that what she was feeling was real. This might be her only time she ever got to enjoy his lips pressing against her, the gentle touch of his hands on her. It was heaven and hell all at once. She, Leandra, was falling for someone that should be wrong for her in every single way. She couldn't help herself though, she needed this while it lasted.

Gella Rerra
 
She wasn't stopping. Why the fuck wasn't she stopping? Gella already didn't know how to deal with this situation, with the sensations shooting through every muscle in his body every time her tongue slid against his own, every time she pushed her body closer to his. It was new, it was horrifying, and the worst part of all is that it wasn't nearly as disgusting as he'd imagined it to be. Maybe, he'd thought for a moment, she just needed to get this out of her system. She'd pull away and they'd never speak of this again, surely?

She didn't though. Each time she eased up to take a breath, she came back for more. Gella felt himself leaning back against the bar, his skin alight with fire as she grasped at his neck to hold him in place, her fingertips pressing against his throat as she only seemed to grow more and more out of control. The sounds she was making... they made him shiver, made his own thoughts muddy and hard to keep track of.

He couldn't let her just take this from him! He was the leader! He decided how things happened! His brain fired off irrational thoughts and connections as he felt his gloved hands travel up her body, moving of their own volition. They reached the swell of her chest and pressed firmly, pushing her back and up against the long table she'd been sitting at a few minutes earlier, now bearing down on her himself, tilting his head to try and mimick what she'd done, claiming her lips and letting his hands press against her to hold her in place.

Rerra pulled away, his voice shaky, more vulnerable than he'd ever heard her, albeit full of defiance.

"Got some fucking nerve, Marin..."

Leandra Marin
 
There were no thoughts in her head, only feelings and sensations. She was crazy, she knew she was crazy. She was kissing Gella, the man that held her life in his hands. She shouldn't trust him, let alone kiss him. She didn't know what had possessed her, but now that it was done, she was falling into a well of need and desire. There was no going back now, and she would revel in the way his body was singing to hers.

His hands were wandering across every inch of her, as she pushed herself closer to him. Sounds left her that she had no idea she was even capable of. She had been in control at the start, but she could feel the subtle shift of his body, reclaiming control for himself as his hands explored her.

She smiled against his lips as he pushed her against the table, in this, she would let him win. She let him control the flow, her lips against his, his tongue against hers. It was something she was in no rush to stop. Still, she could feel him pull away from her, and her lips formed a slight pout at losing their connection. Her chest was heaving, her skin felt like it was on fire, and all she could do was look at Gella as she collected herself.

Her eyes were slightly closed, her lips pulled into a soft smile as he spoke. She looked like the cat that caught the canary, and she was well aware of it. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself too, why stop now?" She tilted her head as she waited, half hoping he would scoop her up again, the other half hoping he would curse her out and punish her for it.

Gella Rerra
 
There was some nagging voice in the back of the crime lord's head that still insisted on this being a trap, a coy and callous way to get under his skin and usurp all of the power and control that he'd worked so hard to attain ever since he'd given this place its name. That same voice was the one that now called for blood, called for him to cut her wagging tongue from her mouth even as she teased him further, egging him on in this unexpected affair.

As unignorable as that voice was, Gella was finding it harder and harder to pay any attention to it through the myriad of other emotions and sensations Leandra was pouring into him through the searing heat of her lips, the way her chest was rising to press against his, how she ground her body up to meet his every move.

It was more intoxicating than any smuggled wines he'd collected with or without her help, and the fact he held no tolerance for it was more frightening than that damned demon beast he'd lost Joia to in the caverns. His body moved all on its own, his lips continuing to find her lips and face wherever they could, driven by some hunger for more of this heat in his gut. His hands explored her, seeking out that which they'd never felt before as she gave herself to him, her tongue and body eagerly meeting him halfway.

Finally, Gella was able to pull himself away from his desire to catch his breath and perhaps gain some sense of self back. His breathing was heavy, and his face flush with color that didn't usually dorn his pale flesh. Leandra looked back up at him, with half-lidded eyes and a self-satisfied smirk.

"You seemed to be enjoying yourself too, why stop now?"

Rerra responded with some mixture of a smirk and a scowl. She was right in that he was enjoying this far too much, and that he wanted more. He hated being called out like that. Rather than play along with her, Rerra felt his competitive streak flare once more, as he raised a hand up to the swell of one of her breasts, clutching at Marin's chest through her clothes brazenly.

"Me? What about you? You've been trying to get me to do this for days, haven't you? Don't try and act like the innocent one, you conniving little fox."

Leandra Marin
 
If she had wanted to, she could have taken advantage of her newfound power over Gella. If she had been anyone else, she would have without question. She couldn't bring herself to do it, couldn't strike him down like the viper she pretended to be. No, there was something here that made her body ache, and her lips tremble as he touched her.

There was a tightening in her chest, a fluttery feeling in her stomach, and a burning need that she felt in her veins. She had awakened in him a desire that she longed to fulfill, she could feel it in the heat of his lips against her skin, the way his hands kneaded her body. The were doing a dance, this burning one of desire, and the other a sparring of words. This was how they flirted she realized, by goading each other..and she found she didn't mind.

He responded, attempted to show his dominance as he gripped her breast firmly through her clothes. She quirked an eyebrow, pressing into him as she leaned forward. Her cheek rested against his, her hot breath against his ear. "You wouldn't like me if I wasn't sneaky." She tilted her head down, her lips resting delicately against his neck. "I've enjoyed our little dance, now I want to enjoy you." She pressed her lips to his skin, kissing his neck slowly and deliberately, seeking to fan the flames further.

Gella Rerra
 
It would have been so much easier if she backed down at his touch if she shied away and vanished until Gella could collect himself and quell this fire that was building underneath his skin. Whatever this feeling was, it was a lack of control unlike any he'd felt before. He was not losing his control to somebody else, but to himself, his body moving of its own volition, seeking things his mind was oblivious to.

Leandra made it no easier for him, pushing her body up against him as he kneaded her through her clothing, wordlessly encouraging him to touch her, to give in to his urges even more than he already had. It was a losing battle, and even the stubborn and arrogant half-elf wasn't so thick-headed as not to see it. If this kept up, he knew what was going to happen, and he both loathed and yearned for it at the same time, to drag this petulant little sneakthief up to his bed and...

His wayward thoughts were broken by her hot whispers, searing breath against his ear as she spoke infuriating truths to him. A soft sigh, nearly a moan left his lips as she pressed her own to his neck, sucking and licking at him in a blatant display of lust. There wasn't any effort remaining towards hiding what they both wanted, no matter how badly he wished he could continue to push back against her.

"Upstairs." He breathed, the lack of punch in his voice more or less a verbal concession, though one not given without a final order. "Now."

Leandra Marin
 
Leandra was hyper aware of every place his hands touched, it made her body tremble, made her breath come out in short bursts. She ached to feel his skin against hers, clothing infuriatingly in their way. She was barely thinking, barely realizing they were still very openly in the bar. Her only thoughts were of Gella, and how he was making her feel in this moment.

Finally, finally he relented. He gave into the need like she had hoped. She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving her behind in this state. She had half expected him to. Gella's words were hot against her skin, his words full of need. It didn't take much for her to follow his command, not this time. Lea slid from his grip, pulling his sleeve as she headed for the stairs, a needy pout on her flushed face. They couldn't move fast enough.

Gella Rerra
 
The Aftermath....

Leandra woke, feeling the warm arms of Gella still wrapped around her. She was sore, worn out, but the happiest she had been in a very long time. She had watched Gella transform right before her eyes, with every touch, and kiss, and breath, he had changed into a different man right before her eyes. She knew now that she was irrevocably his, and she was content with that.

She brushed her messy hair from her eyes, turning over to face the still sleeping man. She traced his cheek with a delicate finger, adoring eyes waiting on him to wake. They would have to face the music, and the rest of the Emeralds, but for now she was blissful and content. She hoped he didn't wake up and revert back to the Gella from before. though she had liked him even then, she wanted him to be tender with her still. She hadn't even questioned the gloves that adorned his hands still, a new puzzle for her to figure out.

She knew once he woke, it would be back to business to an extent. They still had the journal, still had mysteries to solve. He had a gang to run, a bar to stock. This moment would end, so she studied his sleeping face. It looked so innocent, untouched. He was angelic, if only when he slept.

Gella Rerra
 
Even after Gella woke, he did not open his eyes for some time. He didn't feel rested or refreshed and certainly not ready to tackle the day that waited ahead of him. Perhaps it was the hangover that caused his head to throb with every beat of his heart, but the half-elf knew that the far more likely culprit still lay in bed with him.

To say his feelings about what he'd done with Marin the previous night were conflicting would be an understatement. Gella looked back upon the mental image he'd taken, the memories imprinted in his mind of letting her through his stalwart defenses and indulging in affection, in being cared for in a way nobody had done for him before, and a large part of him cringed at the thought he'd been so careless.

Even so, even one as stubborn as he could not claim he hadn't loved every moment. As much as he tried to tell himself he regretted what he'd done, that it had been the wrong choice, that sliver of humanity that Leandra had found within him was awake now, and it was having none of it.

The sensation of fingers trailing across his face eventually drew his eyes open, meeting those of the woman across from him.

She looked so different, without that ridiculous outfit she wore. Without saying a word he found himself allowing his eyes to roam over her again, as if it were the first time. What was there for him to say? It wasn't like him to be at a loss, but any of his usual cocky mannerisms just... didn't come to him now. For a moment, it seemed as though that innocence she'd found within him hadn't fully left.

"Guess they weren't lying about how good that Elven shit is." He deadpanned. "Having the strangest dream right now..."

Leandra Marin
 
Gella opened his sleepy eyes, and she found hers dancing away. She pulled her hand from his face, tucking both delicate hands to her as if to shield herself. She had been open and vulnerable with him throughout the night, and so had he. This was the morning after though, and things might change in the light of day.

Leandra didn't know what to do, what to say. She could feel his gaze on her still bare flesh. She wondered what he was thinking, feeling, but she was too afraid to break the silence that hung between them. When he finally spoke, his voice was emotionless, and she had to admit that what he said stung slightly.

She sat up, holding the sheets close to her chest, still unsure of what her bedmate would do. "I guess just a dream is better than a nightmare." She gave a wry smile and slid her feet down and to the cool wood of the floor. She still couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye, afraid of what she might see in his eyes. "Don't worry, I can see myself out."

Gella Rerra
 
Cold.

Though his body was still covered, the empty space that Leandra left behind felt frigid and lifeless. Gella's eyes followed Marin with a mixture of confusion and frustration, muted and muffled behind the sleepy expression he still wore. She was leaving? After what had happened, she was going to pretend it hadn't?

There was a hollow sensation in Rerra's chest as she stood and spoke down to him. Finally, he'd brought himself to a point where he could allow another to see him, to feel him as nobody ever had before. It had taken liquid courage and a healthy dose of lust and loneliness, but he'd done it. Now, she was pushing him away, withdrawing the warmth he'd only just begun to revel in.

"Why..." He began to speak lowly, pulling himself to sit against the headboard and letting the sheets fall to his lap. His flesh was marked, littered with spots that had seen particular attention from Leandra, flesh reddened by lips and teeth. "Why do you need to go?"

Leandra Marin
 
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