Topic: Fading

Devin Archon

Date: 2008-04-30 10:33 EST
The strong scent of curry still hung in the air of Devin?s kitchen, mingled with the remnants of a sweet rice pudding. Water ran cold over his hands and turned warm as he scrubbed at the last pan left from their meal. Looking back over his shoulder at Paola, he gave her a smile. ?How did I end up cooking and doing the dishes both, again??

"I smiled?" She repeated the expression, and offered out her hand to dry the pan and put it away. "I believe you muttered something about a weakness, but that is not for certain." She openly lied to him, since he would know of her excellent hearing. She wondered if her amused thoughts traveled through their bond.

Handing over the pan, he leaned in to kiss the small dimple that appeared in one cheek when she smiled that way. With the bond fading as rapidly as the moon turned dark again, he could feel only a vague sense of amusement instead of the clearer impressions and even sometimes thoughts that had come at the full moon. ?That?s right. You smiled, and I cursed my weakness against that sweet expression.? Turning off the water, he leaned back against the sink and watched her putting away the last of the dishes. ?I?ll have to be careful about that.?

She felt him try to tug on their fading bond, and it was so faint that her smile diminished significantly. She found herself reaching just to be reassured, only to feel less and less. She took the time of putting the pan away to gather her feelings and have the smile remain full again. "You will, for I do not think I could not smile around you."

?Oh, you?ve managed a time or two, and I?m sure you will again. After all, I?m not always the easiest person to get along with. What do you want to do now?? His own smile was lop-sided as he held out a hand to invite her closer to where he stood. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt again instead of the scanter clothing donned when his Fire was stronger in her; he had noticed the change when she had arrived.

"It was to my understanding that when we decided to take a day away from research, that we would plan nothing." Taking his warmer hand, she stepped forward and gave him a close embrace. He had returned to being without a shirt, and she could feel the warmth vibrate from him as it did before the bonding.

Both his arm wrapped around her and he bent his head to rest it against hers lightly. Straight black hair mixed with blonde curls. The urge for this physical closeness to take the place of the fading bond was almost irresistible. Warmth trailed her spine with the hand he ran up and down her back absently. ?That?s right. A day of no decisions and no pressure. We can stand here all night, if that?s what you want.?

"Mayhaps I do want to just stand here." The warmth of his hand soothed and urged the muscles in her back to loosened and relax. While it was not what she truly wanted for the remainder of their evening, she did not want to let go just yet. It was entirely too comforting, and her hold on him tightened with the thought.

Not expecting the sudden tightening of her grip, he let out a short exhalation of breath and then smiled. ?Of course, if we just stand here, I can?t be responsible for the consequences.? His own arms tightened slightly as he held her, and he ducked his head down a bit further so that he could press a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"What consequences?" This statement perplexed her further than sadness of their dissolving bond, to look up at him. The kiss to her forehead left a small but traceable smile on her lips.

?I have no idea. It just seemed like the thing to say.? He grinned at her, a charming expression that deepened with the glitter of gold humor in his eyes. ?Actually, I was just thinking that moving to the couch would be more comfortable than the edge of the sink.? Seeking to banish the traces of sadness in her eyes, he was resorting to the ridiculous.

She laughed faintly, and rolled her vivid eyes that no longer changed like his, "Well, I do not wish for you to be uncomfortable." Taking his hand again, she led him to the couch, and waited for him to settle before she joined him. The change of attitude was infectious.

His laughter wasn?t so faint. Sprawling over the entire couch, he used the grip she had on his hand to pull her down on top of him. ?You have such consideration and kindness for me. I?m flattered.? He was grinning at her still, teasing without any hesitation. ?So if there were going to be consequences, what should they have been??

There was no resistance in his tugging, though she tried to squeeze between him and the back of the couch to have some sort of support other than he. "Oh, mayhaps pain in the soles of your feet as well as your knees and hips. There is the possibility of pain in your back as well, and mayhaps your eyes for the boring scenery." She slipped the last one smoothly with the more factual comments.

Devin Archon

Date: 2008-04-30 10:35 EST
Shifting over slightly to give her just a bit more room between himself and the back of the couch, Devin let his outer leg drop down to rest his foot on the floor in a combination of support and comfort. ?I was right with you up until the end there. Although I suppose I could get tired of looking at the kitchen walls. At least in here there?s the fireplace - ? Which obediently flared to merry life, ?and?.? Then he frowned as he considered the bare walls of the room. ?Well, there?s the fireplace. I?ll just enjoy the time spent looking at you, then.? True to his word, his warm amber gaze turned from the walls to her face.

"There is nothing new to this face." A flush began at the base of his neck as he openly looked at her. "But at least your body shall not suffer in this position, though.." she leaned over and on his chest, purposely taking more room than needed and hoping to make him uncomfortable, "your leg might fall asleep that way."

?There doesn?t have to be anything new to your face for it to be beautiful.? Simple statement, but amber gleamed with gold and flickering orange in his eyes as he watched the flush creep higher and stain her cheeks. At her deliberate shift and the comment about his leg he blinked and gave her a wide-eyed and innocent look. ?Why, I suppose it might. I?ll have to think of something else, then.? Both arms around her waist, he turned inwards to face the back of the couch, turning her with him, and brought up the leg in question up and over her in a tangle of limbs. His smile was one of pure mischief.

"Devin!" Caught off guard, she nearly squealed his name as he twisted them about, their legs twined and interlocked together. The followed laughter was bright and unreserved, her arms trying to wrap around him in fear that she would topple over, or that he would squash her into the couch. His innocent look received a very pointed grin, "You can be such a nut."

Sparkle of gold danced in his eyes and behind them the fire in the fireplace popped and danced in similar fashion. ?Are you complaining about it, Paola? Would you have me change?? Inches away from her face, it was easy to steal a quick kiss, barely a brush of lip over lip. Pulling back a bit, he smiled and tried to hide the brush against their fading bond as he tried to feel her answer before she gave it in words. Layers to the innocent question lost in distorted half-formed echo that grew stronger, trembled, and faded again.

"Never." She said immediately after the quick kiss to make certain that he knew of her answer. She could feel his attempt on their bond, trying to feel as well before she lost her grip on it. This time she could not fake her smile, "It is painful, no?" Her voice dropped to a more intimate whisper, "To seek comfort and not find it."

His smile fell away as if it had never been. As if it were a mask he had decided to let drop. Tilting his head forward just a bit let him touch forehead to forehead against her before he nodded and answered in similar low tones. ?It feels like picking up a burden again, a burden that I hadn?t known I carried until it was gone.? Gold and amber were swallowed in dark brown and coal-black. ?Or losing something I hadn?t known was missing.?

She tried to seek as much comfort as she could with his form so close to hers, and to have his warmth encompass her, "I know that we will be bonded again soon enough, but it does not ease like I thought it would. And mayhaps that is why it hurts so - I was not expecting to feel hurt and have logic be unable to answer or heal." The pitch of her voice held a steady increase while remaining low, "I keep reaching to find you in the back of my mind and you are not always there."

One hand freed to reach up, to cup her cheek and brush back curls as they fell disordered over her skin. Again he tried to touch their bond ? she had described it well, that feeling of presence in the back of his mind. It had been so clear only a week and a half before at the full moon. Now it felt almost like imagination. Where her pitch increased, his lowered, though the volume remained quiet. ?I try to be. Try to stay there, in the reach of you.? A sigh, before he went on. ?I can?t, anymore. And even when we bond again, it will be weeks again until the moon is full once more.?

"Do not remind me, it aches me." She curled as much as she could against him without pushing him off of the couch, "My feelings for you were strong before the bond; I do not know if that has made this easier or more difficult." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes, though she tried to hide it, tucking her head under his chin.

Tightening the embrace he held her in, Devin stared blindly at the back of the couch and rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her back. He couldn?t find words for an answer for several minutes. When he spoke, his voice was soft. ?More difficult, I think. Harder to lose. But I wouldn?t change it, either. I wouldn?t give up what we had ? what we?ll have again, even for the pain of losing it.?

"But we will not keep this bond forever. When it all over, the bond will fade to not be repeated. What then?" A few tears escaped and trailed down her face, landing on his bare chest. While most of her muscles reacted to his soothing motions, there were still parts of her that ran high on tension.

?I don?t know.? It was a hushed whisper that was thick and harsh with Devin?s own suppressed emotion. ?I don?t know.? He could feel Paola?s tears on his chest, and he shifted to give her more support, his hand moving from her back to trail through her hair and over the back of her neck. It was enough to feel the knotted tension strung through her neck and shoulders. He moved to tilt her chin up, to look at her face.

Paola

Date: 2008-05-01 02:34 EST
She did not want to reveal her weakness, but she could not deny his urging either. With her hands and arms wrapped around him, she had no time to wipe at her tear-streaked cheeks. "I do not know, either." Her words bordered a whisper, and her eyes searched his.

Coal-black and bleak ash-grey, the look in his eyes as he met her turquoise gaze, not as vibrant with brimming tears clouding it. From the back of her neck, his hand moved to gently wipe away the evidence of tears. Finally he moved to close even the short distance between them for a gentle kiss. His voice was quiet, and a promise. ?There is more between us than the bond, and always has been. I?ll not let that be lost.?

Her eyes cast downward as he wiped away the signs of her tears, and it made the kiss less expected. She returned the kiss tenderly, trying to contain the wide display of emotions. "I know that there is more." She said quietly, raising her eyes back up to his, "I will miss feeling your thoughts."

A slow nod met her words as he looked into her wide turquoise eyes. ?As I will. Even when the thoughts were less than flattering.? He put on a coaxing smile at the memory of some of those flares of impatience, irritation and anger that had made their training in each other?s element so ? exciting. It would wrench him apart if he kept thinking on the loss ? he had to turn it back to some humor in self-defense.

"I am not perfect, and am allowed to have unpleasant thoughts." She gave a faint smile, and even breathed out laughter, "You say as if your thoughts were of sunshine and rainbows all the time." The arms around him squeezed gently as the heart-wrenching moment passed.

Devin widened his eyes and tried for an innocent look. It was a miserable failure as he couldn?t maintain a straight face through his words. ?How dare you suggest that I ever have an unpleasant thought in my head! Why, all the Elements know that I am pure of heart, mind and deed?.? That was it ? he couldn?t hold it in, and started laughing at his own words.

She started to laugh with him, "I believe I know first hand of your "pure deeds" and must say it is contradictory!" A hand reached down to swiftly poke his exposed, solid middle. She would say that she had caught some of his thoughts of her through the highest point of their bond, but would save that possible embarrassment for later.

?Hey, I -!? Flinching backwards away from the poke almost sent him tumbling off the edge of the couch, and he clung tighter to her in an effort to keep from falling. It almost worked, too ? until one of the cushions, which had slid somewhat out from the back of the seat, came entirely loose and tumbled him the rest of the way backwards. He landed flat on his back on the floor with a thud and a whoof of expelled air.

She was laughing fully now, but her arms were so snug around him that she went tumbling off of the couch as well. She held luck that he made a soft cushion to land upon. Burying her face into his chest, her laughter turned to almost uncontrollable fits of snickering and giggles.

When she landed on him, what little air had remained in his lungs was pressed out, and he gasped for a few moments before he could join in her laughter. It was easy enough to roll over from there so that it was her back that rested on the floor and he was smiling down at her. The fallen sofa cushion made it easy to rest most of his weight on one knee, with his hands braced on either side of her shoulders. ?Are you laughing at me, woman??

"Oh, yes." With curls is disarray on the floor and around her shoulders, she was grinning with her thoughts. "I am laughing at the knowledge of your thoughts without your knowing." While she laughed, a hand reached to tug on a few strands of his hair.

?The knowledge of my thoughts without my knowing?.? It took a moment to decipher that and then his eyes widened a bit. ?Goddess, the horror of that!? He was mocking himself as much as anything in a hope of deflecting what he was sure would lead to intense embarrassment.

"I am rather sure the Goddess was not involved in any of these thoughts of yours." The hand that tugged on his hair moved to the back of his head to encourage him to lean forward to receive her kiss. "However, I do not mind being on your mind so often.. and in so many different fashions." Her grin was wide and unmistakable, and so was the truth in her eyes.

He was right. Intense embarrassment, since most of those thoughts were ? as she implied ? definitely not ones that the Goddess would have been involved in. The copper of his skin masked the flush of color, but he had to suppress the accompanying pulse of warmth that came with it rather firmly. He tried to hide that by leaning for her kiss and returning it with enthusiasm. ?It could be worse??

She was very surprised to sense the difference in him. She knew him well enough to know he was embarrassed without seeing the change of his coloring, "Devin," she mumbled against his lips, trying to turn her head so that she could speak and look up at him, "I did not mean to embarrass you. I did not mean to speak ill of your thoughts... I rather enjoy them."

A breath and he relaxed, gathering back the confidence she seemed to shake so easily. He gave her another kiss before he pulled back to smile at her, a smile both wicked and knowing. ?It?s a good thing you do, too ? since I doubt they?re likely to stop anytime soon. You bring out the worst in me, Paola.? Flames crackled in the fireplace and glowed with the same yellow-orange light as his eyes while he called the lanterns and candles in the room to life.

"On the contrary," she paused, watched as all the lights flickered with life. There was another pang to her heart to know that she could not feel that or create it for at least another week. She still smiled for him, matching his wickedness, "I would say that you have brought the worst out in me. You do not seem to mind, however I may think you are foolish for that, I shall not complain.?

?The worst of you is better than the best of some others I could think of.? Bending to steal another kiss, he smiled into the meeting of lip to lip. When he pulled back again, one hand lifted to caress her cheek. ?I might be foolish, but there?s method to my madness.? And then as he thought back to the last meeting of the Guardians he added, ?Usually.?

Paola

Date: 2008-05-01 02:35 EST
The kiss was fully given with a hand sneaking up to rest at the back of his head, "There is a method to madness? Care to indulge me on the process?" She chuckled low, urging him to receive another quick peck of a kiss.

It was a chance to turn the quick peck into something longer when she kept her hand at the back of his head. He took advantage of that before he answered with a warm smile. ?You should know it by now. It?s all in what you mean to me.? A shrug dismissed the question and his answer as unimportant, an effort at diversion before he finally rolled back down beside her on the floor, close to the hearthstones now. One hand reached out to the fire, which touched his skin like a pet eager for attention.

She did not confirm or deny if she knew this or not, eyes following his movement. Attracted to the warmth of his body and from the grown hearth, her body remained close to him, one hand resting on his chest and the other resting under her cheek as she rested her head on the curve of his arm.

Flick of his fingers beckoned the tongue of fire free of the logs, and he held it up, balanced on his fingertips. Gold and amber swirled in his eyes; he shaped the flame to a rose, a lily, a spray of baby?s-breath that hung suspended in the air. ?Flowers. I haven?t brought you any.? Another flick of his fingers dismissed the flame, that snuffed out with the gesture. As her influence faded, his emotions and reactions were as easily changeable as they had ever been. It left him more unsettled than he cared to admit, and he tightened his arm around her without thought.

She watched with awe at the fire flowers, loving the detail that he placed in them, "I think I should have flowers that I could see for a bit longer." She leaned and kissed his cheek, her melancholy thoughts starting to return.

?You should. Flowers of scent and soft petal and green leaves. Real flowers, not trickery and empty flame.? His smile now was lopsided as with another flick of his fingers he called back the fire-flowers. ?Not something that would burn you to the touch, now. What can a Fire offer but emptiness, destruction and pain? You deserve more than that.? He phrased it as a rhetorical question, one with no answer expected.

"If there was no heat and flame, then there would be no life to offer the flowers. Devin," concern was evident in her voice as she turned on her side, propped up by an elbow to look down at his laying form. "I truly believe in the balance of things. Without Fire, there is nothing."

Again the fire-flowers vanished ? this time as her turn up brought her close to the flames, before they could do her harm. He looked up at her, and his eyes narrowed slightly as he considered not her words as much as her tone of voice, the sincerity there. ?You really do, don?t you?? It was with surprise that he said that, and he lifted the hand which had held the flames to touch the smooth skin of her cheek.

"Of course I do. You are needed just as much as I. How could I look at the harm of Fire without seeing the harm of Air as well? I could never frown upon what you are; we complete each other." It was meant from the elemental stand point, but she was beginning to wonder if that applied to them as well.

Devin caught the hand she wasn?t resting on and laced their fingers together as he frowned slightly. Uncertainty colored his words, a question that he had left unasked until now, hiding it in assumption. ?Will you stay with me past the battle with the Chaotics? When we no longer are ordered to work together??

Her face showed faint confusion, "Why would I not? Even if I was not chosen to bond with you, it does not change anything. You said that there is more between us than a bond; there always was. I firmly agree with you, Chaotics or no." Her thumb caressed the back of his hand.

Her expression of confusion was more reassuring than her words. He smiled at her slowly, and a tension he hadn?t realized was there faded from his muscles. The caress to the back of his hand felt relaxing, and he pulled their joined hands gently closer so that he could kiss the back of hers. With the draining of tension came fatigue, and he blinked just a bit sleepily. ?I?m glad of that.?

"As I am as well." She noticed the tired look in his eyes, secretly pleased that she could tell. The sad echoes from their bonding could not be helped, but they still wounded her spirit. Her concern for him was greater than anything at the moment, "Come along then, my dear, before you fall asleep on the floor."

At her urging he stood slowly, though he didn?t release the lacing of their fingers. Still hand in hand she led the way to the bedroom and he tried unsuccessfully to swallow a yawn. ?I can?t be the only one tired.? It was a denial and a question at the same time and he looked at her with eyebrows slightly raised ? an expression destroyed by another stifled yawn.

"No, you are not. I just do not look like I was ready to sleep in the moment." Watching him yawn, she yawned as well. "Do you want me to stay with you?" No matter how many times she was presented with the opportunity, she still always asked.

Smile flickered with the quickness of a spark-shower at the question he should expect; it always caught him by surprise that she felt the need to ask. He answered as he always had. ?For as long as you wish to stay, I want you.? Plain truth in the words as he closed the bedroom door behind them.