[PP-F5] Moonlit Confessions

[Teion 0]

Teion stared over the tops of her arms, still partially hiding behind the sense of protection that her huddled frame provided. All she could do was worry. All she could think about was how there was no way for this to end well. Every bad little possibility made itself known in her mind: every way they could fall apart, hurt, or break. Was it selfish of her to want to be together with him? Wanting to rely on him, and share pieces of herself with him, was that even possible for her? For a moment, despite the desire that still burned in her heart, Teion had convinced herself that she was no longer allowed to be happy--not with Aereth, or anyone else.

"That changes nothing."

His voice reached her ears, somehow managing to pull the woman from her despair. Teion's gaze had drifted, as if her eyes were drawn to him and each new word he spoke. Her eyes went wide as he explained that he wanted to know her, to be close to her, however long it took. As she looked into the brunette's eyes, she felt her heart flutter gently in her chest. 'Maybe...it isn't so selfish.

She wasn't sure when the corners of her mouth had turned up, but after Aereth had finished speaking, Teion was smiling. It had been a long time since such a warm look had taken over her features, and it lingered for a short while before her gaze eventually dropped and she shifted her attention to his other concern. Her expression dimmed again and her eyes slowly shifted over the bare floor of the smithy as she gathered her thoughts. "It...it does, and it doesn't." She answered a bit hesitantly, biting down on the edge of her bottom lip before she found the words to continue. 

"It was...weird. For me, at least." She hadn't tried--or even thought about--opening up to someone about her past relationships. Those pieces of her life especially had always seemed to keep themselves hidden away, at least until they were dragged out of her. But the thoughts and the feelings she held onto... 'Maybe this is a good place to start on that whole 'opening up' thing.' She felt an inward, bittersweet chuckle nearly leave her throat. The silence lingered on until Teion gave a small shake of her head and a half-hearted grumble. "Aughh, I don't even know where to start." Her head tilted to the side and her left temple pressed against her arm while she faced the man beside her. "Beatbox and I..." A heavy weight pressed down on her chest as she finally seemed to find the words she wanted to say. "We never felt 'right'. I was always confused. Hesitant. A part of me kept trying to come up with guesses as to why he...dedicated himself to me." The word alone seemed to bring her a bit of discomfort in her recollection. "I wondered if he just wanted to try and 'save' me, like he tried to do for everyone else."

Another sigh slipped past her lips. "But, he went and died before I could figure anything out. Including my own feelings." With her head still resting against her arms, Teion's eyes shifted back to Aereth. She studied his face for a brief moment before she felt the corner of her mouth hook into a tiny smirk. "But this is...different. So yeah, it's not really about him. It's about--" A sudden embarrassment came over the blacksmith, strong enough to pull her gaze away from the brunette as it dipped back to the ground. Realizing that she had come too far to stop herself now, she finished her thought in a mumble. "It's about my stupid fears, and worries, and...insecurities."

[Aereth 1]

Aereth was stunned. By the smile that seemed to was away all of his pain, by her explanation of her past relationship with Beat, by he fears and insecurities. So he was just sitting in silence and listened to every word she said. And many different emotions started to quell as she told him everything. Relief that her feelings for him were different from those she had for Beat, guilt that he was even thinking such things, nostalgia as she said that she was carrying worries, fears and insecurities with her, just like Alice, it was just.... Overwhelming. 

He was so grateful that she was opening up to her, when just some moments ago it seemed like she wouldn't want... He sighed. "I really don't know where to start...." he thought as he gathered the things he wanted to say in his mind. 

"Beat was always like this... Always there for everybody to help. Risking his live on the front lines to get us all out of here. His own happiness always came second, but maybe you were the one thing where he wanted to be selfish. His one weakness.... Which must mean that the reason for his death must have been something unbelievably dangerous..." Aereth answered thinking about the blonde front liner that put his trust into him. "But in the end, his sense of duty was stronger..." he added mentally.

Aereth slowly moved his left hand closer to Teion and opened it in an invitation to help her, to support her. Or was he simply wanting to hold hands with her? Who knows, but he hoped she would simply accept the offer.

Hidden event if Teion would grab his hand:

When Teion would have taken his hand he would continue. "I'm glad to hear that this..." he rose their connected hands. "... is something different. You have to know... I'm different from Beat. I'm a very selfish person. I fight just for the things I love and hold dear. The things I want to protect at all costs. I don't give a damn about the problems of others if that would mean that I would have to neglect the ones I love..."

Hidden event END

"You know... You remember me of Alice. My...." his voice faltered for a moment and he paused for some seconds. "She was also so unsure of herself, and carried worries with her all the time. Took me a long time to understand her. So tell me about yours. What do you fear? Why are you so insecure?"

@Teion

 

[Teion 0]

Teion listened in return as Aereth spoke. He recounted his own vision of Beatbox, one which held very few differences from how she knew him to be. With her gaze still lowered, the woman caught sight of his empty hand as it shifted into the space between them. His movement seemed too deliberate to be a coincidence, and his palm lay open as if offering her a place to rest her own. She stared at his hand for a few long moments before finally giving in to her curious desire. Her hand released the arm it had been holding on to when it wrapped around her legs, moving slowly and hesitating for a split second while it hovered over Aereth's. Urging herself to continue, her fingers carefully found the gaps between his and she laced them together, closing her gentle grip over his knuckles. As their palms pressed together, Teion found a comfort in just the hold of his hand. The warmth it provided, the feeling of his skin brushing against hers, however slightly, caused the butterflies in her stomach to flutter.

He started speaking again, lifting her hand along with his. He referred to it--their relationship, as strange as it was for Teion to call it that--and expressed his relief that her feelings were not so jumbled around the frontliner that had loved her in the past. He explained further, about the differences between himself and the last man to have pledged himself to her. The woman's head lifted from its resting place against her knees, and when he called himself selfish she couldn't help the small chuckle that escaped her.

When their hands fell back down to rest in the space between them, Aereth spoke about what she could only assume was his passed loved one. The blacksmith felt a twinge of pain in her chest, catching the lingering sadness in his voice at his comparison. But then he asked her a question. He wanted her to tell him more, he wanted to begin to understand her. Teion simply stared back at him with slight surprise painted on her face, not expecting his straightforwardness. But she soon recovered, turning her chin and tilting it up as she faced forward again. In a way, she appreciated his bluntness. His words served as a gentle nudge towards a topic Teion would otherwise avoid, but one that was so deceitfully crucial. She sat beside him in silence for a moment, just thinking. Wondering how to answer his questions.

"Well..." She started, another small smirk forming on her lips. Despite her more relaxed expression, she still hesitated between some of her words, embarrassed to admit such a simple thing. "If you want to start with the basics... I'm deathly afraid of the dark." How silly she always thought that fear was. She closed her eyes for a moment and shook her head lightly, directing her train of thought back to the more serious side of his curiosity. "But, besides the obvious? Besides the things that everyone is afraid of in here..." She trailed off and paused, dipping her chin back down and staring into the distance over her knees. "I know that you're not him. I don't think--" She interrupted herself as the memory of their first meeting surfaced in her mind and she took on a wry smile. "at least, not anymore--that you would run off and get yourself killed." Without thinking, her fingers tightened around his hand for a second in a light squeeze. "But I'm afraid that, that won't matter. Because there are people here that kill for the thrill of it. And I know you have a colorful cast of friends that I'm sure would love to pay you a visit." Her joking tone was noticeably forced, as the topic was all-too real in the front of her mind.

She felt as though she had only scratched the surface, and yet she couldn't find any more words to say. The corners of her mouth pulled down in a thoughtful frown as she shifted her focus between his questions. "My insecurities...?" She echoed in a voice just barely louder than a whisper. What a long list that was. "I..." The word left her readily, but trailed off as she stopped herself. For a moment, she felt as though her thoughts would have just slipped out. Like the filter that trapped all of her innermost feelings had been subconsciously removed. But then the weight of those thoughts hit her, and she stopped. 'I don't take care of myself. I second-guess almost everything I do. I don't think I'm worth it.' Her brows came together on their own, a troubled expression overtaking her face as she lost herself for a few long moments. Finally, after coming back to her senses, she spoke up. "That--that's hard to talk about. I'm not looking for pity." She admitted in a voice laced with stubbornness. "But... Every day, I feel like I'm falling apart." There was a new tightness in her chest as she forced the strained words out. "I...worry, about 'this'," She alluded to his earlier reference of their laced hands, "I worry..." Her bottom lip stiffened as she faltered again. Why was it so painfully hard to get these haunting thoughts off her chest? Her thoughts broke, and reformed after a shaky breath. "I don't...think I deserve it."

[Aereth 1]

He could almost feel how Teion seemed to draw strength from their connection. It was amazing how such simple things like a touch could say so many things. I'm here for you. I won't let go of you. I want to be close to you. 

Then she started to speak again. Trying her best to answer all the questions Aereth had thrown at her. She was struggling, but she was pushing herself through it. 

When she told him about her fear of the dark, a small chuckle escaped Aereth. "I remember that from our time in the dungeon. Ever thought about getting the Night Vision mod?" Aereth said in a joking manner.

He then fell silent again as she started to talk about basically her fear of losing him. Be it either suicide or one of his many enemies. This caused a knot to form in his stomach. If he was being honest, he could never provide her with the safety and security he promised her. Just look at today. She only got attacked because of the Laughing Coffin wanted to get to him. He really shouldn't have come to her in the first place. He should at least have tried to resist the gravitating force that pulled him towards her...

"Back in the dungeon I had given up. I had nothing to fight or survive for any longer. And I didn't want to continue fighting just because of my never ending thirst of revenge... But then you came. Pulled me out of there and made sure I wouldn't try it again. And you are right... If I really would have cared more about you I shouldn't have come to your shop some days ago. The thing is just like you said... Many players want to see me dead, which puts the persons I care about in constant danger..."

After she told him that she was feeling like she was falling apart and that she worried about not deserving their relationship Aereth sighed.

"You've been through enough suffering, so why do you feel like you don't deserve to be happy? To be honest... It's exactly the other way around. I don't deserve this. I can never provide you with a normal relationship. As long as you are together with me, you are in danger. My head keeps screaming to just go and never turn back if I really care about you, but my heart keeps pushing me always towards you..."

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion felt a heavy lump begin to form in her throat. Her heart was slowly sinking into her stomach as the thoughts that he put into the air mirrored her own. They were each arguing with themselves--telling themselves that they couldn't bear to drag another soul into their own worlds full of turmoil, guilt, and despair. And yet, they both still longed for companionship. They both so desperately wanted to find comfort in that other soul's presence, to share the suffocating burdens that have weighed so heavily on them. But the wars continued to rage inside of them. So heated, and for so long that Teion was once again beginning to crack under the pressure pushing down on her chest.

Without her permission, her hand tightened its hold on Aereth's. Just like Teion, he feared that the past would repeat itself. Just like her, he felt as though he didn't have the right to curse others with the demons that chased after him. It was as if she was listening to him pull the words that dwelled inside of her, dragging them out and filling the air with them. She knew those words very well, having heard them echo through her mind in a scream several times before. But why did it hurt so much to hear them in his voice?

"I don't want to be alone anymore either..." The words left her in a whisper, as if that small voice was all she had left. The single plea that her heart could manage before it might be struck down.

[Aereth 1]

Why couldn't they just throw their doubts out of the window. Why couldn't they just accept the other and be happy again. Aereth felt the squeeze of Teions hand and did the same.

"Can you protect her?" 

"Will the past repeat itself?" 

"Will you loose her?"

"Can you stand loosing another woman?"

These were the four questions that tried to push him away from her. That tried to keep her alive and him from loosing another loved person. But if he was being honest... He already pulled her into his problems. He couldn't be sure that the three players he killed that day were the only ones to know about her. He couldn't abandon her now. He would need to make sure she lives...

His free hand moved over to take hold of her body and he gently moved her on top of him. "Seems like we're pretty f*cked up, huh?" he asked with a smirk as he took a strand of her curly purple hair and put it behind her ear. "You don't want to be alone anymore. I don't want to be alone anymore. Would you accept a life of me trying to escape my demons while protecting you from them?"

"Let's be alone... together."

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion's eyes were still staring off into the distance ahead, full of pain and longing and worry. She almost hadn't noticed Aereth moving, but she was drawn back to the present when she felt his hands slipping themselves around her waist. She felt herself moving, though the action was neither harsh nor unwantwd. Her knees placed themselves against the ground on either of his sides. Her body hesitated before it slowly relaxed over his, and she felt herself sink slightly as she sat against the man's outstretched legs. It felt as though he pulled her to him so easily, and Teion did nothing more than stare back at the man now facing so closely to her. The cobalt blue eyes that had held so many unsavory emotions were drawn into his gaze, and she felt herself hanging on to every word that he spoke.

She felt his hand resting gently against her hip while the other reached up to carefully tuck an untamed lock of hair behind her ear. The woman felt the tears that welled at the corners of her eyes, though she could not explain them. Simply mesmerized by the deep pools of Aereth's brown eyes that looked into hers with a new emotion. Was it peace? Acceptance? Adoration? Her unfamiliarity with those words left her guessing.

It was as if her body was on auto-pilot. She was lost, and yet her hand moved slowly, up past the arm that encircled her until it hovered inches away from the side of Aereth's face. Her fingers retracted before they reached him, and she hesitated. 'Is this okay? Is all of this really okay?' She continued to feel the lingering doubt in her heart. And then her mind presented her with a single, new question:

'Are you willing to fight for this?'

Her eyes widened ever-so-slightly as the answer came to her. Her fingers carefully reached out again, her tips gently making contact with his temple before they slid down. Her thumb found his cheek, and the rest of her hand lingered as she gingerly took his face in her hand. The corners of Teion's mouth pulled up into a warm smile as the moisture that had built up in her glistening eyes threatened to spill over. Tilting her chin, she offered a small nod in response to not only his question, but also her own. "Yeah... I would like that."

[Aereth 1]

There he was again. Staring into those cobalt colored eyes that he felt like he could loose himself in. Those eyes that could make him forget everything inside of this hell. Aereth didn't break the eye contact for even a second. Not even when he noticed that she was stopping  herself from touching him. "Damn it. Why does she smell so good..." he thought. And when her fingers finally toughed his face it felt like electricity was running through them. So intense, so exciting...

"Yeah... I would like that."

"That smile..." he thought as she told him that she indeed wanted him to share his life with her. He slowly closed the distance between them and gently pressed his lips against hers. His arms slightly tightened the hold on her before one of them started to move up to the back of her neck. It was a longer, and even more passionate kiss than before and as the finally parted after some long but at the same time still much to short moments, Aereth smiled back at her. 

"I will give you everything of me. And I will do everything in my power to make you smile like that all the time. I love your smile." he said as his heart was racing and he was still holding her tight. "And I love your hair."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Did I really say that right now?" He asked himself with a mental facepalm. "Here we go... three kisses in and already starting to act weird..."

@Teion

[Teion 0]

As the brunette leaned in and brought their bodies closer, Teion felt her heart race when their lips met once more. Even the slightest touch seemed to send a surge of excitement through her, and in response to his tightened hold her free hand raised to rest itself beside his shoulder. The palm that pressed lightly against his cheek slid back, the tips of her fingers beginning to weave through the messy brown hair behind his ear. The base of her thumb rested against the corner of his jaw, and the woman leaned back into him to return his kiss with the same eagerness that had filled her several minutes ago. She took in every second of their passionate exchange, giving in to the greed of her desires.

It wasn't until they finally parted again that Teion could feel the heat in her cheeks. Dusted with a light blush, the blacksmith felt her heart skip a beat when her eyes met Aereth's smiling face. Once again, his expression was different from the teasing smirks that she had already grown to appreciate. Before she had taken the time to dwell on the fluttering feeling in her chest, his words began to reach her. The pink tint across her face had just barely deepened when his last words had caught her off-guard. She blinked, and her eyes that had already lost themselves in his features seemed to catch the traces of his own embarrassment. Suddenly, the smile on Teion's lips reformed and she found herself letting out a small laugh. "So, you have a thing for...purple hair?" She teased the man with a small grin. How long it had been since she joked so casually, so sincerely. The woman's fingers slid away from their resting place on his shoulder, pulling back to loop around her ear where Aereth had tucked the locks away. Her fingers combed it through, pulling a section of her long hair past her shoulder and holding it in place for a moment for her to casually 'inspect'. "And here I was thinking about dyeing it..."

She chuckled and let the hair slip through her fingers to fall against her upper chest, turning her attention back to the man in front of her. Her eyes moved up to the unkempt fringe that hung over his brow. The corner of her mouth hooked into a small smirk, as if she still wasn't finished with her torment. She reached the same hand forward, although it froze just inches away from the side of Aereth's forehead. She had hesitated again, having to remind herself that she was allowed to be so forward with the man who had offered to share his life with her. She continued after a short second, running her fingers through his own hair while she tousled it a bit along the way. The small smirk returned to her features, and Teion spoke up in another half-teasing tone. "I dunno, I kind of like yours, too."

[Aereth 1]

God, how creepy he was. "Kissing her and then talking about how you like her hair? God damn it Max. What kind of stupid creep are you?" he heard his inner self yell at him. Still. This was much better than having to listen to the constant doubts and demands to push her away.

But to the hell with all of that. He was thinking that her hair was beautiful. The locks, the length, the color and the bangs. Simply perfection.

"Never." was his quick answer as she told him that she thought about dyeing them. "Although... If you really want to, you could give red a try..." he then added with a smirk. "But I really like them the way they are."

It felt soooo good when she started to move her fingers through his messy hair. He simply closed his eyes and enjoyed the thrilling touch of the girl. No.... His girl.

"Oh you like them? I was thinking of getting some braided man buns in the future..." he replied in the same teasing tone, as his grip tightened again around her waist. "You know what I also like?" Aereth once again used his arms to pull her closer to him and moved in for yet another kiss. God... He could do that all day. Everything seemed so far away every time their lips met each other. Like all the pain and suffering was just a blurry dream.

After they would separate again, Aereth would rest his head once again in the crook of her neck, pulling her into a tight embrace. "Thank you..." he whispered.

[Teion 0]

She returned Aereth's smirk when he had suggested a red color, but the woman soon wrinkled her nose in response. She gave a light shake of her head as the sour expression faded and she gave a simple mutter under her breath. "No way. I'd look terrible as a redhead."

Teion pulled her hand away as he continued to joke, holding back another laugh. And suddenly she felt his hold tighten, pulling her body closer until her torso pressed up against his chest. The combination of his words just before he held her closer and the feeling of his lips once again crashing into hers nearly caused Teion's head to start spinning. Her eyes were wide in response to his sudden advance before she felt herself relax into him. She returned the gentle pressure of his kiss while her arms slipped themselves past his shoulders to wrap around behind the man's neck. She felt as though she would never tire of these moments--this feeling that surged through her each time they came together.

Aereth had later nestled himself against her neck, her bare skin tingling as he brushed up against it. She felt the hold of his arms around her waist, the pressure against her back that kept her comfortably in place. She wasn't sure of the last time she had felt such a sense of safety in another person's arms. Her cheek rested against the brunette's head while her arms encircled him all the same. Her eyes closed as she focused on these feelings, allowing the comfort to wash over her. His hushed words sounded through the air between them, and Teion could feel the corners of her mouth pull up into a soft smile. "I should thank you, too." Her voice was soft and calm. "I guess we really did save each other, huh?"

[Aereth 1]

Oh how right she was. Without her he wouldn't be in this world anymore, and nothing more than a crossed out name would have been left. "Yeah. You're the only reason I'm still here. You're the reason I want to fight again. The reason I refuse to die." he answered and started to gently move one of the arms up and down. "And that just from you grabbing my arm back there in that dungeon." he added with a chuckle.

"I don't know about you, but being together with you, right here, right now feels so damn good." But then, suddenly a yawn escaped the brunette. It finally seemed like the exhaustion was catching up to him. But he didn't want to stop... He wanted to continue just sitting on the floor with Teion on him. Throwing away his doubts just to get tired after some kissing. Pathetic.

Then a question arose in his head. "May..." God damn it Aereth. Just say it. It's not that hard. Just. Say. IT. "May I sleep in your room today?" Phew. Now it was out. "I-I don't wanna be alone tonight..."

[Teion 0]

It felt strange to listen to the man recount the scene in the twenty-first floor dungeon just a week or two ago. She almost felt uncomfortable thinking back on it. The brunette was just a stranger to her at that time. And while she couldn't bear the thought of seeing someone do something as stupid as rush headlong into a losing battle, imagining Aereth--imagining Max--as she knew him now in that same position caused a tightness to form in her chest that created a chain reaction. Her arms tightened their hold around the man as if letting go might mean he would disappear from in front of her.

He managed to pull her from her thoughts just as his voice always seemed capable of doing, and his mention of their comfort brought another small smile to her lips. She was able to focus once again on the feeling of their hold on each other, and with a tiny shake of her head, her cheek brushed gently against his hair.

She felt his chest raise while his lungs filled with air before a yawn escaped him, and Teion had to fight off one of her own in response. She heard him speak up again, but he seemed hesitant. With a tired curiosity, Teion simply waited until he had forced the question out and she could work it over in her mind. Her mouth opened just slightly, and she was about to give him a simple 'of course'. But something had stopped her. She had offered the man her room in the past, so why did it feel as though he was nervous to ask for it again? And then his choice of words finally clicked into place as she ran what he had said back in her mind. If he said that he didn't want to be alone, then that meant...

Teion's eyes opened, a bit wide as she jumped to conclusions. A heat rushed to her cheeks as her mind began to fill with new thoughts. They were certainly attracted to one another, and it seemed as though they each found the same comfort in the other's presence, but wasn't sharing a bed just a bit too forward for how recently they had met and established their brand new relationship? Instead of the casual answer she had intended to reply with, Teion heard herself lightly stammer in response. "O-oh, uhm," Her heart involuntarily increased its tempo  as she tried to piece together the words. "Sure. I mean, you can use the bed if you want..." She only hoped that her meaning got across despite misinterpreting the brunette. Teion was too busy thinking about how she was supposed to offer him the comfort of no being alone during the night without sleeping beside him in the same bed. But then why did the thought of that--and the subsequent images that appeared in her subconscious--cause her to feel a sense of want, as if she would be perfectly happy to rest in the man's arms throughout the night.

[Aereth 1]

"Nononononono." It seemed like his brain was done for today. Was he actually asking a girl he only knew a little longer than a week if he could sleep in her room? She hesitated. She wasn't comfortable. He snapped out of his melancholic mood and put a stupid grin on his face as he slowly rose his head again to lock his brown ores with her cobalt ones. "S-sorry. It seems like I got carried away a little bit. You can have the bed. I'll find a place for the night. I remember days where I even slept on my crafting table, so I'm not really picky..." He sighed. "I was weird, right? You can calm down. See... I'm really really tired, and if im tired my brain tends to stop working. It was thoughtless of me to ask such a thing. As much as I would enjoy that thought of having you in the same room while sleeping, I shouldn't have asked such a weird thing." Aereth said as he ran his fingers through the hair of Teion. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable..."

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Her bottom lip stiffened when their eyes locked, and he apologized. She found herself asking how silly she was being, and if the fatigue that she felt was also causing her to overcomplicate things. Aereth's hand reached forward and she felt a small, exciting chill run down her spine as his fingers combed through her hair. Of all the things, why was that such a nice feeling?

She suddenly felt herself take on another half-smile as she looked back at the man. Teion gave a small shake of her head before pressing her fingers against the ground at her sides to finally push herself to her feet. She stepped back over his legs, feeling the heavy weight of exhaustion after the day's events protesting her motion, as if her body would have been perfectly happy just to rest against his throughout the night. Before the irresponsible thoughts could bring another blush to her cheeks, Teion averted her gaze while she held out a hand to help the brunette up. "No, sorry," She returned with a small apology of her own, still avoiding his gaze. "I might've taken that...the wrong way." She admitted in a mumble. Their sleeping arrangements in the past were always haphazard. She had no issue sleeping outside of the single bed that rested in the small, otherwise rather empty, storage room. She even recalled the night she had fallen asleep over her drafting table while the man had been staying with her.

Once Aereth had risen, her other hand traveled to the nape of her neck and rubbed lightly against her skin. "I really don't mind being in the same room..." Her answer was honest, though she found herself frowning as she spoke. Her fingers still curled around her neck, and her gaze was still off in the distance as she continued to try and explain herself in another mumble. "I just don't want you to have to sleep on the floor or something."

[Aereth 1]

Teion's beautiful purple hair ran like water through his fingers while she was pushing herself to her feet again. He took the offered hand with a smile, careful not to use too much weight on the hand when also pushing himself up from the ground. She too looked very tired as she told him that she really would be ok with him sleeping in the same room as her.

He smiled. "Really? Like I said, I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything." he asked noticing the small frown that worked its way over Teion's face. "I would be fine just sitting on the ground, leaning against the head of your bed. Knowing you're there and that I can protect you." 

"So you can have the bed." Now a Aereth started to smirk. "After all, we only kissed like... three times. It would be weird if we would already be sleeping in the same bed right? I'd say we would need at least...." he paused and moved his hand towards his chin in order to look like he was really thinking hard about what he was about to say next. "... a total of five kisses for it to not being awkward. Or what would you say?"

@Teion

[Teion 0]

Teion's eyes were still trying to keep themselves distracted elsewhere while she failed to stop the light blush that tinted her cheeks after hearing his sweet words. Her frown twisted slightly into a flustered expression until she let out a tiny sigh of defeat. Besides the nagging fatigue that weighed down on the woman, she wanted to hold onto Aereth's presence just the same, and so she couldn't bring herself to argue any further.

A lighthearted tone crept into his voice, and finally Teion's curious gaze traveled back to meet his as a result. She blinked while he paused, confused at the half-serious expression that he took on before he joked about the number of times that they would need to kiss, as if meeting some kind of quota for different steps in their relationship. Her bottom lip pursed lightly just before the corners of her mouth pulled up, as if she was trying to resist the smile that overtook her at his suggestion. Clearly unsuccessful, Teion's hand pulled itself from the back of her neck towards her mouth as she let out a small laugh.

Quickly composing herself, Teion offered the brunette another smirk in return. Her eyes lingered, studying his face with a thoughtful expression mixed into the playfulness in her eyes. "Well..." Finally speaking up after a few long seconds, she shifted her weight and took half a step to close the distance between them. She reached over and placed a hand at the back of his neck, pulling him a couple of inches closer while her chin tilted up. She met his lips with hers in another gentle kiss, only lingering for a couple of seconds before forcing herself to part and reform the smirk on her features. She straightened her spine, allowing a short distance between them again before she continued, "Maybe we'll have to keep count and experiment."

She pulled her hand away before it quickly worked to find the hand hanging by his side. "Come on." She urged, the slightest hint of shyness in her voice as she took hold of his hand. What seemed to be a recurring theme between the two players, Teion then moved towards the other room while she pulled Aereth along behind her.

[Aereth 1]

She turned. Reached over and placed a hand at the back of his neck. The space between their faces vanished once again, and the lips of the two lovers met in a short but gentle kiss. Aereth totally didn't expect this action and was frozen in place. "Hey, isn't it my job to be the cheeky one?" he asked himself as he just lost himself into her eyes, simply nodding at her suggestion to keep count and experiment. Was this really real? He still couldn't believe that this girl was accepting his feelings, his past, his unstable future.... That she was accepting HIM.

"Four..."

Just the feeling of Teion's hand working its way to find his own hand managed to snap him out of his trance like state. Their fingers intertwined, and Teion once again started to pull him with her. Seems like this was their 'thing' now. This made the brunette smile and he simply followed her. They entered the room and Aereth silently closed the door behind him.

There they were. Together in her storage room/bedroom. The moonlight shone through the window and once more Aereth was just staring at the purple haired beauty in front of him. Instinctively he moved closer to her and hugged her from behind. One hand moved over her stomach and one over her chest gently grabbing her shoulder, while placing his head on the left side of her head. He just couldn't let his fingers from her.

@Teion

[Teion 0]

As they found themselves in the side room, the smaller space seemed to emphasize how together they were. How, in her humble smithy on the less-traversed desert floor, their two souls existed beside each other in the peace, safety, and serenity of the room illuminated only by the pale moonlight that kissed their skin. Standing in front of the plain, single bed adorned with smooth sky blue sheets, Teion felt her chin drop to look at the gear that she stood in. Usually, she might not have bothered to change out of her battle attire. But now, preparing to sleep while the man she cared for stood behind her, she suddenly felt a sense of wanting. She wanted this to be real. As real as she was capable of making the projections in her head feel, at least.

Before she had the chance to slip herself away to change her clothes, the unmistakable warmth that grew closer to her sent a wave of comfort through her. She felt Aereth's arms as they slipped around her stomach and across the width of her chest, pulling her tightly against him in his embrace. She felt the gentle weight of his chin as it nestled in place between her neck and shoulder, and simply his closeness caused her heart to skip a beat before it picked up in speed. A soft smile grew across her lips, and her left hand raised up until it settled against the side of Aereth's head. Her fingers gently stroked and played with his hair while her other hand hooked itself loosely around the arm above her chest, as if to hold it in place. She found herself closing her eyes, enjoying the sense of tranquility that his hold provided.

"I love this."

The words left her in a soft, contented whisper before she had realized it, but when the words reached her ears the violet-haired woman stiffened and her eyes flew open again. Another blush crawled over her cheeks now seemed like a perfect time to retreat to her original plan. The woman carefully turned her shoulders to break his hold on her, a small sense of disappointment running through her as she did so. Teion avoided his gaze, still flustered by the words that slipped from her, and hurriedly slipped past the man's frame towards the door behind him. "S-sorry, just a second."

She escaped back into the main room of her forge, closing the door behind her and letting out as silent of a breath as she could manage. She paused a moment, the color once again draining from her face before she pulled up a hand to run it past her forehead and through her hair. Her bangs pulled up before falling back into place, and a half-smile worked its way back to her features as she then brought her hand back in front of her to swipe through the air. The familiar chiming of soft bells rang out with the menus that pulled up in front of her avatar, and she made the familiar motions to navigate to her inventory.

It still didn't feel real. Part of her thought that if he she opened the door behind her, only an empty room would greet her. With a light shake of her head, her fingers located the items they had been looking for. With a few quick taps, the light armor that covered her vanished and a new set of casual clothing materialized over her form. A pair of dark gray pants paired with a plain white camisole made up her sleeping attire, and as another small chime rang out to signal the dismissal of her interface her fingers combed through her violet locks and pulled them over her shoulder. They worked through the familiar motions of forming a braid down its length until she secured the loose ends with a hairband.

Turning herself back around, Teion carefully opened the door to re-enter the side bedroom. As if to quell her earlier fears, the sight of the brunette still standing before her brought a new sense of relief through her. A thought crossed her mind, but before she could follow through with the motions Aereth had turned to face her. She carefully closed the door behind her, and as they were once again alone--just the two of them standing in the small room--Teion felt herself moving forward. Was this what he felt like when he had hugged her just minutes ago? This overwhelming urge just to feel him in her arms? She closed the gap between them with only a couple of steps. Her arms slid past his sides, wrapping around the man's waist and pulling herself to him in a tight embrace. The side of her head rested at the base of his neck, and she allowed her eyes to close as she silently took in the feeling of her newfound love once more.

[Aereth 1]

"Me too." Aereth replied as he slightly tightened his hold on the woman. "I could do this forever..." he silently added. Aereth didn't know when voices inside of his head had stopped torturing him, but now he was able to appreciate every moment with the purple haired beauty. Every touch. Every second she caressed his hair. It has been long since he was able to such a level of peace.

This was the reason, he hesitated when Teion started to turn around in order to break his hold on her. "S-sure. I'll wait." Aereth quickly answered and reluctantly let her go. His gaze followed her as she made her way out of the room and as she closed the door, the brunette let out a sigh and changed to some comfortable track suit trousers and a black tank top with a hoodie jacket. God damn it, how long it took for him to actually get behind it on how to create jackets with attached hoodies. 

Just when he was about to go into the second round of rambling about how sh*tty crafting was at times, Teion came back. His mind went numb and he felt the hands of his purple haired blacksmith wrapping them around his waist. "There you are again.." she said in a soft voice as he returned the hug. After that he slowly started to kiss her on the neck, and worked his way over her cheek to her mouth. The kiss started gentle and got more and more intense the longer it lasted. Aereth then slowly started to move their bodies towards the bed and gently moved their bodies onto it.

@Teion