Private Tales There and Back Again

[Faurosk]

As quick as Rainie was to draw back her expectations for the day, her talk of "bravery" had settled just long enough to send Faurosk staggering. He reeled for a moment, adjusting on the bed and glancing across the room. When she confessed her desire for slowness, he stilled. When she told him she'd been waiting for a moment like this, he smiled. It was small, uncertain, and entirely genuine.

"I think we've both been plenty brave for one lifetime," he agreed past a sigh, bringing an arm about to hold her just a touch more tightly, as though some force of nature or divinity would separate them at any moment. As chance would have it, his hand came to rest on the small of her back, at almost the same spot he'd gotten a tattoo to commemorate their first real adventure. Taking down a dragon with the aid of giants, engaging with a rivalry that's spanned generations— Plenty brave, indeed!

"I don't know how it will be, before you're pulled back to your ship, or your life," Faurosk confessed at a whisper. Meeting her eyes then, it was so challenging not to lay his feelings out bare. "Would you let me hold you, until then? I-" He trailed a moment, head flagging to one side in wavering confidence. "... Would love to," he resolved. "You know, not perpetually by any means... Fractionally. For a time."

It's a wonder what a few kisses and a moment's intimacy can to do his 'way with words.'

 

[Rainie]

Rainie nearly laughed aloud at his skittish reaction to her reflexive comment about bravery. She was half-tempted to tease him about it, but reminded herself that while he had once been quite used to her antics, he'd had quite the reprieve from them as of late. Which meant, of course, that she should extend him a bit of mercy. For a little while, at least.

A smile overtook her face once more at his proposition, one that she happily pressed to his knuckles as she stole his hand once again.

"That would suit me just fine," she agreed easily, heart light with giddy delight. And then, her tongue got away from her and she added, "As long as you want me, I am yours."

And perhaps that was a touch too much, too soon, but the words rang true enough. Tempering her words was suddenly quite difficult, like floodgates had opened to allow them to come tumbling forth with reckless abandon. To cover her slip-up, she made a tactical retreat, pulling away slightly from his firm grip on her waist.

"Come sit properly, though," she instructed while indicating to the head of the bed. "You'll be more comfortable." Rainie smiled.

 

[Faurosk]

Faurosk blinked twice to himself, surprised. He'd taken her words literally for a moment, only to reassess them at face level. Finally, he took a mental step backwards and realized the hyperbole she'd probably intended.

"Mm... That's not a date, Rainie. That would be kidnapping," he teased, shifting up onto the bed before pivoting backwards half a foot at a time. When his shoulder blades met the headboard, he relaxed backward and waved her to his side. "I'd take the time to name each of your freckles, then we'd need to memorize each name and—"

Perspective crept back in after it had been cast aside so many minutes, and a furrow creased between his eyebrows. Faurosk put the back of one hand to his forehead, testing himself for a fever. "No," he began softly, sounding confused. "No... The wine probably wasn't poisoned, then. There goes the easy explanation for why we're acting delirious."