Private Tales Have you heard there's a rumour in Alliria?

[Althea]

Thea's heart swelled at Gawyn's gesture, a gentle warmth spreading through her as he tucked the cherry blossom into her hair. She reached up to touch the delicate petals, her fingertips tracing the soft curve of the bloom with reverence.

His words about her brother resonated with a bittersweet nostalgia, and Thea listened attentively, her gaze softening with understanding. It was easy to picture them together, and her lips curled sadly at the thought.

"I miss him.. I've never had anyone to miss him with before." she frowned at the thought. She'd been cast out of her home before she could mourn him, left alone to do so with people who hadn't known him, who wouldn't care. It was easy to recall the pain and anger she'd lived with, and it was easier still for her to realise how much her life had changed since the moment Gawyn had walked into it. Gods, what he must have thought of her..

Her fingers threaded through his and she tucked herself close in against him once more as they walked.

 

[Gawyn]

"A lot of the residents here knew him," Gawyn's voice was thick with memory. Of how this city had once been, several centuries ago, when it had been little more than a fortress stained in blood. Of Thomas' laugh and jokes of how this spot would make a wonderful place to have a beer, if only it had been covered in grass not rubble. "He was a good lieutenant, a lot of the soldiers here looked up to him. They would have followed him through hell and back - often did," a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

"You should ask your new boss. I think she patched him up more than me."

 

[Althea]

Thea smiled fondly and nodded. "Yes, I did too. He was forever being patched up.." she smirked, and sighed as she thought of the night she wasn't able to. "The last time.. There was nothing I could do but take away his pain.".. And the life of the one who'd shoved a blade in his gut.

"Our parents were...Difficult. He was everything to me. I used to hate it when he left me there. At least I knew he was with friends. With you. He looked up to you. "I think he'd have approved, after some time..." she smirked, squeezing his hand gently.

 

[Gawyn]

"I think he would have best my arse," he laughed and brought their entwined hands to his lips so he could brush a kiss over her knuckles. "Then maybe brought me a drink," of course they both knew Tomas would never really hurt him over such a thing. Any type of violence would have purely been for playful show.

Gawyn led them through the gardens to a pond where a small fountain had been installed. He sat down on the grass and let his wings splay out to catch the warmth of the late morning sun.

"If you're interested in the gardens I can introduce you to the committee who look after it."

 

[Althea]

Thea's smile was soft and warm as he pressed a feathery kiss to her knuckles, imagining the scenario of what her brother's reaction might have been. He had always been protective of her, so there would no doubt have been cautionary words spoken, but she knew he'd have been elated that they'd both found such happiness in one another. Nobody had ever been good enough for her in Tomas' eyes, but Gawyn would likely have been his only exception.

She sat down with him, admiring the myriad of colour the sun brought out in his feathers. He really did have the most beautiful wings she'd ever seen, beside Aodhan's. Hers had been dull in comparison, the white and soft grey of a dove, but they had been strong and fast, and she missed them terribly. It was difficult not to stare sometimes, to feel a churning jealousy and ache every time she saw another of her kind..

"So long as they don't mind me hanging around here more often. I wouldn't want to bother them.." she smiled and leaned into him. The gardens were beautiful, so starkly different from her life on the Allirian streets that it was almost surreal to be sitting here surrounded by it. She sat in silence for a long while, listening to the birds and watching as they fluttered around the trees.

"This is not how I envisioned my life to be." she laughed under her breath and shook her head in quiet disbelief.

 

[Gawyn]

Gawyn watched the way her eyes travelled up his wingspan, noting which particular colours held her attention more than others. A slight smile curved his lips but there was a sadness to it he made sure to hide when she looked back towards him.

"They won't mind at all, they're usually always bothering me to find more volunteers. It seems plants are very demanding," Gawyn had no interest in them aside from they had made Ilyena and Aodhan happy - and now Thea. He wished he could appreciate the beauty of nature as much as they but he was content enough to find the beauty of it through the way the people he loved smiled when they saw it. "I'll introduce you to Phaera sometime, she usually organises these things."

For a quiet moment they enjoyed the serenity of the gardens around them and he took to playing with a lock of her hair. At her words he chuckled.

"Starting your own menagerie of animals and gardening?" he teased and leaned over to press a kiss to the curve of her neck.

 

[Althea]

Thea laughed, her eyes closing and toes curling in her boots at the feeling of his lips on her neck. She tilted her head, giving him more room to roam should he wish.

"No.." she answered softly, amusement in her voice. "Peaceful, calm.. I never thought I'd have a family. That I'd matter.. Be loved." she sighed, reaching to thread her fingers into his dark hair.

"I fell far. It's difficult to see a way out when all there is is darkness."

 

[Gawyn]

"I'm no pure light, but I'll be the torch that will guide you out of any Darkness, Thea," he murmured against her skin as he pressed more kisses along her heating skin. Every now and then he would scrape his teeth over the soft flushed parts of her as his hands roamed. Perhaps leaving the house had been a bad idea. In a swift movement he shifted his weight so his wings were no longer beneath her but over her, her body laid out on the soft grass. His hands roamed over every curve and his lips followed suit.

"You'll never be alone again," he said it like an oath.

 

[Althea]

It seemed fitting that he likened himself to a flame. One again she was burning. Molten. Leaving the house was most definitely a bad idea, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Her grin split into a breathy laugh as he peppered her with kisses, her body shifting and writhing to meet each press of his lips or scrape of his teeth.

"This is indecent." she whispered with a smile in her voice as her fingers gripped at his hair and her legs curled around him. How she used to loathe men to touch her, how she feared it. But this, there was nothing loathsome about the way Gawyn touched her. She could feel what he felt, and there was far more than desire. It was the love and devotion that caused her heart to pound against her ribs and her body to shudder with need.

 

[Gawyn]

"Should I stop?" the question was a tease. He could feel by the way her body shuddered and pressed into his touch that was the last thing she wanted. But he asked too because he knew her past, knew how many men hadn't asked and that the words were important in giving her the control she had never had. His lips nipped a particularly sensitive spot even as his fingers brushed the smooth skin of her hip bone.

 

[Althea]

Thea let out a breathy laugh at his teasing question, feeling the heat of his lips against her skin. She tugged playfully at his hair, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper as she replied, "Is that a threat?"

Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she arched into him, her body responding eagerly to his touch. She could hear the playful tone in his voice, but she also knew that he was giving her the choice, a gift of control that made her feel safe, cherished.

"I never want you to stop." she whispered against his ear, her breath catching with a soft gasp as he nipped at her throat.. "Crumpets."

 

[Gawyn]

Gawyn muffled his laugh by pressing his lips into the crook of her neck, but his whole body still shook with the force of it.

"Crumpets?" he repeated and pulled back to look down at her with mock scrutiny. "That's the word you choose to use right now?" Gawyn ran his hands up the outside of her thigh then slid his fingers beneath her top to trace over her bare skin. "I could think of other, better words to describe what I plan on doing to you next."

 

[Althea]

Thea bit her lower lip, trying to stifle a giggle as Gawyn's laughter vibrated against her skin. Her cheeks flushed at his teasing, but she met his gaze with a playful defiance.

"Oh, is that so?" she whispered, her voice laced with both challenge and anticipation. "Well, I happen to think crumpets are delicious, but..." She trailed off, her fingers grazing his cheek before sliding down to rest against his chest. "I'm definitely curious about these other words you have in mind," she added, her voice dropping to a sultry whisper as she leaned in, brushing her lips just shy of his. "Care to enlighten me, General?"

Her smile was both a dare and an invitation, her heart racing with the thrill of their banter and the intimacy of the moment. They both knew where this was going....



The playful banter quickly gave way to something far more urgent and consuming. Their kisses deepened, and the air around them seemed to thicken with heat. Thea’s breath hitched as Gawyn’s hands roamed over her, fingers tracing paths that left her skin tingling with anticipation. The soft grass pressed beneath them as they moved together with a feverish intensity, the world around them dissolving into a haze. Her need for him was fierce and overwhelming, and their heated exchange left her breathless and spent.

She looked up at him with a grin from where she curled against his side, the softness of his feathers tickling at her back. Her cheeks were flushed, and there were definitely leaves in her hair.

"So... Crumpets?"

 

[Gawyn]

Gawyn sighed into her hair before pressing a kiss against her temple.

"Instable woman," he teased, but his own stomach was beginning to complain too. The general pressed a quick collection of feather light kisses in seemingly random places over the rest of her face then finally pried himself out from his position beneath her where he had been acting as - what Thea called - a 'feather mattress'. Pulling back on the shirt that had been all but torn off his body a moment ago he then offered out a hand to the woman who held his heart.

"I know a good cafe not far."

 

[Althea]

Thea let out a soft, contented laugh as she leaned into Gawyn’s playful kisses, savoring the warmth they left in their wake. She rolled onto her back when he pulled away, watching him with a teasing smirk as he tugged his shirt back on. “Instable, huh? I think you like it,” she quipped, reaching out to take his offered hand and rising to her feet with a satisfied sigh.

As they strolled through the park, the air around them was cool and crisp, but the lingering warmth between them made everything feel a little brighter. The soft rustle of the leaves overhead and the scent of blooming flowers provided a peaceful backdrop as they made their way toward the café Gawyn had mentioned. Thea walked close to his side, their hands loosely intertwined, a comfortable silence settling between them.

They reached the quaint little café nestled on a quiet street corner, the inviting scent of fresh pastries and coffee wafting out from its open door. Inside, the tables were cozy, and the warm glow of the morning light filtered through the large windows. It felt like a small sanctuary from the world outside, much like the peaceful haven they’d shared in the park.

She squeezed his hand at the sight of it, allowing a wave of her own delight to rush through him too. How was this her life?

Thea gasped over the display of cakes and pastries in the window, picking out precisely which sticky bun she wanted (the one that seemed to be the most drowned in honey) before sitting at a little table outside.

"I don't want to wake up from this.." she sighed as she looked at him.