[ P ] i like the way you kiss me

Lenora was a mess of emotions now that she was sober. Memories of the night prior with Declan were vivid in her mind, reminding her of his kisses and how he held her against him. Every time she thought about it, butterflies exploded in her stomach and made her paws feel fuzzy. She couldn't help the stupid smile that graced her features, but it always fizzled and faultered when she thought about her mother.

She shoved the thought away, determined not to think about her tonight - not when she was about to go on a date. But shouldn't this be something you talk to your mom about?" the voice in her head chided. Normally, yes, but their family wasn't normal anymore.

The crashing of water announced her arrival to the Braid. Her paws sank into the water logged earth, but it felt kinda nice between her toes. Purple eyes flickered around the area as she approached closer to the waterfall, but not close enough that her hearing was completely drowned out. It was obvious she was looking for someone, and she suddenly realized that he had never specified where to meet him... so she could only hope that he found her first.

Until then, she sat down, making sure that her rump didn't totally fall on the wet ground and instead sort of perched on her heels as she watched the falls quietly, thinking about everything that had happened in the last few months of her life.

table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash

The sun was slowly setting in the sky by the time he made is way to the Braid. He wasn't sure what he'd be met with when he got to the heart of the forest where the falls lie, but he tried his best to tamp down the excitement he felt. What if she didn't show? She's not going to, you idiot, his thoughts growled at him. They were probably right, he hadn't stuck around to make sure she agreed to go out with him. Still, he headed deeper into the forest with a bundle of small, purple flowers clutched in his jaws.

He stepped through the trees and into view, and that was when he saw her. The backdrop of the falls a ways behind her offered a silvery mist that played off her starlight fur. He was awestruck for a moment and nearly dropped his gift before collecting himself and walking towards her. He placed the flowers at her paws and smiled, "They reminded me of your eyes," he said softly as he looked at her. They were small, purple flowers that he did not know the name of but had found in the foothills of the mountains nearby.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd come." he admitted truthfully. "But I'm glad you did." He took a step back, though what he really wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms and kiss her again. His ear flicked and he looked towards the falls. They had swum that night at the lagoon but with fall right around the corner he wasn't sure just how warm the water was now. It might be too cold for swimming, but soon night would be upon them and this place was beautiful at night. The stars would glow brightly overhead and the sound of the falls would drown the world out.

"..."

Whether she had been waiting a minute or an hour, the time passed pleasantly in this peaceful little pocket. Lenora hadn't taken much time for herself as of late, much less to go exploring to places she hadn't been before, and so she was clueless when it came to the beauty that Rionna had to offer. Curiosity had her thoughts wander to the Highlands, too, and what pretty places could be up there as well. Would Declan bring her up there and show her his favourite places? Her head tilted a bit to the side as she pondered quietly.

His steps were quiet as he approached, but she was so relaxed here that her muscles didn't jump when his voice announced his arrival. He set a bouquet of purple flowers at her paws, and she couldn't help herself - lowering her head to the ground, she sniffed at them and smiled at the flowery perfume. Lifting her head to look at him, a soft laugh left her lips at the realization this was the first time anyone had brought her flowers... it was such a kind gesture, one she wouldn't peg to a known criminal.

But things were more complicated now, weren't they? After all, their little "thing" was complicated.

"They reminded me of you," she blushed, looking down at them again as she was unsure how to respond. Should she have gotten him something as well? These pleasantries were lost on her.

"Honestly, I wasn't sure if you'd come," thankfully he continued to speak, stepping back to give her some space. "But I'm glad you did." Lenora stood, stepping towards him to close the distance he created and folded herself into his chest. Her heart and mind still ached, but she knew the warmth from him would dull the pain, at least for now, as she placed her forehead on the muscles of his chest.

"I still don't know if this is a good idea," she whispered, though her tone was teasing as she lifted her head to look at him. Her hands traced patterns up his torso as she wrapped them around his neck. "I haven't been here before. It's beautiful - do you come here often?" she asked, trying to stay present and not delve into her recent memories.

table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash

She was quick to close the space between them, and he might've been surprised had he not felt the same pull toward her. He lowered his head to the crook of her neck as she pressed against him, tracing a trail against his chest with her paw. Where she touched it felt like electricity sparking along his body, lighting him up with every movement. He rested his chin in the crook of her neck, breathing in her warm and comforting scent.

"I still don't know if this is a good idea," she whispered softly, though she didn't sound frightened or upset. "Most good things aren't," he murmured.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as her hands trailed up to his neck. "I haven't been here before. It's beautiful - do you come here often?" He let out a low chuckle into her fur then pulled back so he could peer into her eyes. "I don't, actually. But I've been here one or twice before and the falls always caught my attention." He replied. It was mundane conversation, but he couldn't be happier to have it. It meant they were relaxed enough to talk and maybe she could see that he wasn't the criminal she thought he was.

He wanted to tell her everything, spill it right there at her feet, but he knew he couldn't. That was a reminder of her station, and his. It only had him gripping her tighter, as if she might be a dream that would disappear when he opened his eyes. He stared off at the falls for a moment before turning his attention back to her and smiling, albeit a little sadly due to his thoughts. "So now that I've got you here... what do you want to do?" he asked. "It might be too cold to swim, though we could try. Or we could try to hunt up some dinner. Or we could just relax here, whatever you want."

"..."

It was a slow realization, and one that she wouldn't verbally admit or even acknowledge most of the time, but Declan was somehow becoming a comfort for her. Self-reflection figured this was because he had entered her life in a time of immense turmoil between the conflicts with her brother, her discussion with her mother, and the very real, sinking understanding that her parents were never going to come home.

You have been replaced by flowers.

Her smile faultered for a moment, but she was quick to slip back on her mask as he enveloped her in his arms. Despite everything else going on in her life, the stability of their cat and mouse game; the predictability of him and weird sense of dependability apparently was what drew her in. Perhaps against her better judgement, she decided she was okay with this. At least he didn't look at her with scorn like Riften did, or overwhelming sadness and regret like her mother. She didn't know what her father thought of her now, but figured once Riften returned and her mother told him of their talk, his opinion would sour as well. All she had left was Atlas, and she wondered if it was only a matter of time before he turned on her as well. Had this all been worth it, just for a station in the army? Should she have left as well?

Declans voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she clutched onto him as she listened. He was relaxed, and so she did her best to mimic this by forcing her muscles to release the tension built up within them, and allow herself to melt into his side.

"...what do you want to do?..." the question made her ears twitch in response and she looked up at him, noticing the subtle crease of sadness on his face. Had he noticed her sadness? She didn't want that, so she put a smile on her face, knowing that with a distraction it would eventually become genuine. He gave some ideas, and an easy laugh trickled up from her chest.

"You mean you invited a girl out on a date and didn't prepare a dinner for her?" she mused teasingly, one brow raising in mock disbelief. "I was looking forward to a free meal, Declan, and now you're going to make me work on my day off." she couldn't help the laughter that built within her with each word, hoping that it instigated him enough to get a rise out of him. Her tail wagged gently behind her, her anxieties melting away as she desperately clung to the distraction that he provided.

table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash

The laughter that bubbled from her captivated him and his lips pulled back into a more genuine smile. "You mean you invited a girl out on a date and didn't prepare a dinner for her? I was looking forward to a free meal, Declan, and now you're going to make me work on my day off." He looked at her and let out a laugh of his own. "You really didn't think I wasn't going to make you work for it, did you?!"

Declan had noted the sadness on her features before she put that smile on and laughed that laugh, but he attributed it to their complications and not the things going on in her life. He didn't know of the issues she was facing, but if he did he would have offered her a shoulder to cry on, should she need it. Instead they were both sitting here, laughing like what they were doing was normal.

"We better get a move on if you're hungry, then. Before all the deer run off into the night." he warned playfully. He stood up, his tail waving behind him as he turned to take a few steps towards the trees that surrounded the falls. They were to far from town to get anything there so a fresh hunt was their best bet.

"..."

He countered back with what she thought was a joke, but he rose and began to walk towards the forest. It was when he slowed and looked back at her that she realized he was serious, and she flashed a brief look of are you kidding me? before she dramatically got up and followed after him.

"My father will hear of this slight, sir," she sniffed at him, though secretly she was eager to see how they worked as a team. In the army, all soldiers were as one; a well oiled machine with a hive mind and no one was left behind. So she was curious - did the thieves on the streets work the same way? Truthfully, it had been quite some time since she had hunted, probably the last was during the war when they were camped out far from home and what they considered civilization. As the lowest on the totem pole, it was her task to help feed the ranking soldiers, and she did so with much success. She only hoped she could draw from that to perform well enough tonight as well.

As she neared his side, Lenora bumped playfully into his shoulder with her own, "Tag, you're it!" she laughed and took off into the forest in search for the sweet scent of deer.

-- time skip --

There were hiccups. While they weren't as graceful as a unit of soldiers, they did well enough, coming back to their little area with a small deer in tow - that of course she made Declan carry. Her fur was splattered in blood that wasn't hers, and when he dropped the corpse down there was no hesitation from her to begin the feast. The energy they exerted just to catch it wore on her now and she needed the calories to regain her strength, but she was careful to make sure he had more than enough space to dig into his favourite pieces as well.

Once they were finished, she leaned back and licked at her bloody lips before appearing a bit embarrassed. The girl gave a quick glance towards Declan before looking to the falls, where fresh water promised a nice bath - even if it was cold.

"We should... probably clean ourselves up, yeah?" she asked a bit shyly, not used to being so... feral around others.

table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash

He smirked at the look of disbelief on her face; it was fun keeping her on her toes. With a comment about her father, he raised a paw to his forehead dramatically. "Not your father!" he said, though truth be told he was not afraid of anyone's father as much as his own. However it was a little fact he'd gleaned from her, that she did in fact have one presumably alive. He wondered what their relationship was like. Probably good since she was a part of the Army. He didn't take into consideration that despite her position she could have a rough life, just like him. To him, the ones that would do good for their country were noble and just. They'd live good lives because they deserved it, unlike him.

...

They disappeared into the forest to hunt together and it did not take them long to find a deer and bring it back to the clearing. The creatures came out at night and it was just now growing dark while Lenora began to feast upon their dinner. He watched her for a moment before joining her and then when they were finished he looked her up and down, eyeing the way the blood covered her silvery fur. He probably looked no better. "Probably," he agreed before turning towards the falls. He didn't mind a little blood but it was best they got cleaned up either way.

He began to wade into the water, shivering a little at the chill. It wasn't freezing but it wasn't super warm either. "It's a bit chilly," he warned her before turning back towards her and offering to help her in, should she need it.

Once they were submerged more, he dunked his head in and came back up with a breath of air to rinse his earthen pelt of any blood on it. Then he swam out to a deeper part where his paws barely touched. The roar of the falls behind them caught his attention and he wondered if there was anything behind it. He kicked out into the pool of water, swimming to the side where he spotted a small cavern back there. "There's something back here!" he shouted over the noise. He turned to look at Lenora before smiling and disappearing behind the falls into the dim cavern beyond.

"..."

She waited for him to test the waters first, watching as he lowered himself down and a smirk lit up her face as he tensed. "It's a bit chilly," he warned, twisting around in the waters to face her. A paw lifted from below the surface, and she daintily took it as she stepped into the frigid falls. Adrenaline surged from the temperature, causing her teeth to chatter but thankfully, her coat was plush enough to keep most of the chill at bay.

Declan dunked his head in and Lenora followed suit, deciding to get the rest of the watery bites over with and she broke through the surface after a few seconds with a gasp. Blinking the droplets from her eyes, she was surprised to see the Declan had begun to paddle away from her! Awkwardly, she found her footing before following after him, her stomach plummeting the moment the floor seemed to drop out from under her. If she sank a little further, her paws could barely touch - but that was at risk of her ears almost submerging under the surface, and that wasn't ideal for her.

"Declan!" she called, fear curdling the edges of her voice as she waded through the water when he disappeared behind the falls. The roar of the water crashing down drowned everything else out, and so she focused on watching him so she could pursue him.

"There's something back here!" she heard him yell over the noise and she paddled harder, coming around the corner to see the dimly lit cavern. As she had her fill of being definitely not warm in the water, she pushed herself to get to the ledge before both forepaws lifted to haphazardly climb up and out. She gave herself a rough shake, her teeth chattering more now as the brisk air cut into her soaked fur before she turned around and looked wide-eyed at him, lowering her front half down a bit.

"Need help up?" she asked between bouts of clattering teeth, and she couldn't help the embarrassed smile that crossed her muzzle. "It's colder than I thought it'd be!" she giggled for no particular reason, only hoping that it would be warmer in the cave.

table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash

As she came around the falls, her silvery fur seemed to shimmer in the low light... or maybe that was the water on it. He couldn't tell, either way it gave her an ethereal glow that caught his eye. She hoisted herself up and out of the water, offering him a paw as he did the same. He could hear her teeth chattering back in her the quiet dark of the cave even with the roar of the falls just beyond them. He moved closer to her as she exclaimed the water was colder than she'd thought it be and a smile touched his lips. "We live and we learn," he said in a faux tone that suggested he was wizened beyond his years. Truth be told, he thought the water would be warmer too but it was quite chilly and now that he thought about it... they were stuck back here until they decided to swim out. Unless the cave had any alternate exits, which he did not care to visit just yet.

"C'mere," he said as he wrapped his arms around her in an attempt to warm her up with his own body heat. His teeth weren't chattering, yet, but with their combined warmth they should be fine in no time. The cavern was cool but not frigid and for that he was thankful. "I'll help get you warmed up," he muttered. Was it an excuse to touch her? Maybe... but it was a good excuse all the same to him. A few moments of silence passed between them and he placed a kiss against her neck before sighing and resting his head on her shoulder. "Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?" he asked into the quiet dark.

"..."