be

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

He accepts her touch and it only has her pressing harder against him – the wet warm blood melding with the cool rain, steam still erupting from their heated bodies despite their bloodied clothes. Kiada presses in and in as if she might be able to try and steal the sorrow from him, to bear it herself if only so she doesn’t have to see it written all across his face. Especially as he glances back toward her and her brows pinch and frown lines form along her face, hands squeezing lightly where she holds him.

“I can help you if you want me to?” She asks softly, not wanting to impose, and if he truly did wish for her to go back home without him for the moment, she would oblige. But she has to offer to help, unable to handle the idea of leaving him out there alone if he needed her to be there. She wants to help, in whatever way she can, whether it means she helps him bury the poor creature or if it means waiting for him like a lost dog on their porch in the rain.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Closing his eyes for a second as she presses against him, for a moment Fox would like nothing more than to just stay here with her out in the rain, in the hope that she and it might help to wash away all of his sins. But no sooner do his eyes open when the sight of the luxere carcass floods his vision again, and he gently shakes his head. "Thank you," he murmurs, "but I think this is something I need to do by myself."

Turning to offer an uncertain kiss to her cheek - he doesn't want to cover her in any more blood - the hunter lets out a shivering breath and carefully extracts himself to rise to his feet. "I'll see you back home in a little while. Would you mind getting some dry clothes for me...? He plans to throw himself into one of the nearby streams before heading back, so at least he won't need to shower. It won't clean off the blood, though.

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

She holds him in turn as she waits for his answer, letting the rain continue to soak her dark hair no matter how she presses in against him. A small amount of disappointment and worry yawns in her chest, but she obliges. Trusting him. “Okay.” She says softly, pressing a kiss back to his cheek and another to his temple, squeezing him.

She unwraps herself from him to let him stand, hauling herself to her feet as well. “Of course. I’ll see you soon.” She murmurs, reaching out to squeeze him and give one look back toward the luxere before she turns to leave, turning back before she makes the break in the tree line. “I love you.” She says it like a reminder, before she steps out.

And she does as he asks, once she’s cleaned herself up. Warm clothes are folded and set somewhat close to the fire so it’ll be warm as can be by the time he arrives, and tea is made nice and hot, and she waits by the window like a dog waiting for him to come home.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Closing his eyes against her affections, both trying to lean into them and feeling as though he doesn't deserve them right now, Fox nonetheless gazes over his shoulder at Kiada until she disappears through the treeline, making sure she gets out safely. "I love you too," he calls, though the words are mostly swallowed by the rain by the time he trusts them to leave his throat.

Fox is gone for the better part of an hour, during which time the rainstorm has moved properly over the Outer Islands in a steady, dark grey drum. By the time his silhouette appears through the woods again he's clean - his skin is, anyway - and his clothes cling to his body despite the initial protection of the raincoat. If he notices the weight of them, though, or how his fingers are numb already from the cold, it doesn't show.

Trudging up to the door and seeming unsure of what to do or whether to even call out for Kia, he steps inside, dripping.

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

She waits, sipping her tea and soaking in the warmth even as her insides feel cold as can be. It’s only been an hour and yet it feels like an eternity – a sensation that she isn’t quite used to (it feels too familiar to the much more frightening potential that she’s pretty sure she’s very deeply in love with Fox and to have him hurting, hurts her in turn, and the prior trauma that if she isn’t there with him, he might not come back like the others). But his form casts over the crest of the hill by the house, and Kiada exhales such a sharp breath of relief she thinks her lungs are aching.

She isn’t in the window either as he approaches, and by the time that Fox steps inside she’s standing right there in the entry way, fluffy and fire warmed clothes at the ready, folded to retain the heat as well as a towel she starts to hand him, as her eyes immediately scan every inch of him to make sure he’s okay. “Clothes off.” She says gently with a little hint of a demand within it.

Let me help you feel better.

“Let’s dry you off and get you into these.” They were some of his favorites, the cream sweater one that Kiada had stolen from his wardrobe quite often and despite being cleaned numerous times, harbored her scent as she starts to help him dry off and get into the clothes.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Hazel eyes widening, at first with shock and then promptly with relief, Fox manages to offer Kiada a gentle smile before the towel is suddenly handed to him. It's with a quiet and rumbling yes, ma'am that he complies, rubbing at his face and hair and starting to peel off his clothes. The boots and sodden raincoat come first, stood and hung by the door, and it's while Kia continues to dry his hair off that he fumbles to unbutton his shirt and pants.

"Thank you," he mumbles, the soaked clothes soon at his feet. Gooseflesh instantly erupts along his sides and down his back, the hunter shivering in earnest as he reaches for the sweater and a pair of comfortable sweatpants, shucking into them and feeling a sudden and overwhelming surge of affection for the harpy once he's finally dressed.

"You are too good to me," he whispers, reaching out to curl his arms around her and draw her securely against his chest. "Thanks for putting up with me."

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

The smile he offers her, however small and gentle it is, relieves some of the tension in her chest and is easily reflected in the small one she offers him in return. “You’re welcome.” She says softly, getting his hair dried and fingercombing it for him as he drops out of the damp and too cold clothes, and she helps where she can to get him dressed up in the warm, plush clothing.

Her iceberg gaze lifts to meet his face when he speaks next, whispering and reaching for her, and her heart swells with relief and love as she goes so willingly into his arms, slipping hers around his as she presses her head hard against his muscled chest. “It’s nothing that you wouldn’t do for me.” She says softly, muffled before her head tilts up and her chin presses against his sternum. “Do you feel up to cake yet? I’ve got tea ready if you wanted to go slow instead?” She feels like she’s asking him a billion questions right now, but she still can’t find it in her to let him go – instead keeping her arms tight around him as she starts to walk them back toward the kitchen and eating area where the tea is still hot and ready, her cup deposited somewhere in her rush to get to the door quickly.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Offering a good natured grumble that wants to object - but of course Fox can't, really, because Kia is right and he'd absolutely do it for her - the hunter lets his fingers carefully thread through her dark hair, his free hand keeping her secure and snug against his chest.

"How about," he suggests softly, walking in step with her as she ferries him backwards into their kitchen, "we spike that tea with something, and then have cake?" His eyebrows raise hopefully - Fox is far from someone to drown his sorrows, but fuck, after the cold, the rain, the quicksand moss, the bloodlust and the luxere, they deserve something to take the edge off.

"Thank you," he says again, because once absolutely isn't enough to reiterate who Kia is to him and what she's done for him. "I promise I'll try to do better about this bloodlust thing."

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

She’s quite content to pull him back with her toward the kitchen, head tilting into the hand in her hair like a cat being shown attention as she listens to the deep rumble of his voice half through the reverberations of his chest and half in the air. “That sounds like a great idea.” She confirms with a smile that grows brighter the more she has him in her arms, relieved that he is okay after everything.

His second thank you has her hands slipping up, pulling back slightly so she can look up at him and cup his cheeks in her hands, stroking her thumbs along his cheekbones. “You’re welcome.” She murmurs softly, ensuring he knows that she really does mean it. But when he says that he promises to do better, her lips twist into a softer toned smile as she starts to pull only part of herself away from his touch to reach for a bottle of something strong to add to the tea still warmed by the stove. “Maybe we make it an occasion so it doesn’t get so bad? Then maybe next time we don’t have to deal with a luxere.” She suggests, flashing him a small wince. “The more on top of it we are the less intense it is and the more picky we can be.” It’s what she’s been doing – topping off when she starts to feel it on something easier, rather than immediately hunting the first moving creature she sees.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

"I thought so too," Fox murmurs, leaning into the warm touch of her hands and only focusing properly when Kia leans away to grab a bottle of liquor. Moving with her so they can sidle up to the counter and spike the tea appropriately, the hunter contents himself with letting his hands gently wander over her curves, feeling inexplicably lucky to have fallen into her orbit, let alone to be able to tell her he loves her.

"...Yeah," he agrees slowly, about the bloodlust situation, snagging their cups once they've been appropriately doused and carrying them to the little kitchen table. Only once he sets them down (and takes a seat himself) does Fox tug her into his lap, leaning his chin against her shoulder and frowning softly down at their drinks.

"I know you're right," he murmurs. "I'm just... I've bottled things up for so long, it's hard to admit that it's happening until it's past the point of no return, you know?"

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

She’s malleable in his touch, easily snagged down into his lap, wrapping one arm around his neck and nestling into his warm, her tail curling around his leg, she starts to mix the strong liquor into their cups, topping it off with the hot tea. “I know.” She murmurs softly, lifting his cup for him before her other hand starts to run gently through his hair.

“I’m here now, though. We can do this together.” Communication is key, she thinks. “You’re not alone anymore.” She says softly, nosing in and pressing a soft kiss to his stubbled jaw, ensuring that she tries to pour all of her affection into each and every inch of where they touch.

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Letting his arms loop around her, Fox watches as she pours their spiked tea, accepting the cup as she offers it out. He sits up, only briefly, to take a generous sip of it, relishing the heat of the liquid and the burn of the alcohol, only to nestle back against her once he sets the drink back down.

He doesn't expect her words to hit as hard as they do, the hunter tilting his head into her kisses and affection, before turning to catch her lips with his own. "Never stop reminding me of that," he says softly, one arm securely around her middle and the other pressed against her upper thigh. "I'm just about dumb enough to forget it."

But gods, Kiada has been a part of his life for the better part of a year now - and it's about time Fox started to realise that this isn't some temporary thing. "Marry me," he whispers suddenly. "Not... not now, obviously. I don't... I mean, this isn't how I would even want to propose. Fuck."

Huffing out a laugh at his own idiocy, he tries to hide his face in the crook of Kia's neck. "But one day, maybe?"

Fox Sinclair

this is your sport

but she's not playing a game

“I won’t.” She agrees softly, parting only momentarily to take a sip of her own cup, before she nestles back in against him, wrapped in his warm arms and pressing her lips to his jaw and cheek. She’s content to sit there like that, letting the buzz of the alcohol start to warm her from within – but it’s nothing compared to the question that drops from the hunter’s lips, one that has the Harpy pausing as she stills and Fox starts to step over himself as he laughs and tries to hide his face.

She won’t let him, though, not as she shifts a little to better straddle him and get a look at him, hands lifting to the sides of his face to lift it so she can look at him – her face red but the grin vibrant as can be, stretching wide across her face. “Yes, Fox. Yes!” She whispers back, leaning in to press her lips to his, forgetting all of the terrible things of the day thus far in the face of this wonderful, perfect thing.

He might not think it’s perfect, but it’s perfect enough for her. (She’ll let him do it again, though, if it makes him feel better.)

do not think you are safe because you love her

do not think she won't stain her mouth red with your blood too

KIADA

I’d be the immediate forgiveness in Eurydice; Imagine being loved by me.

Already trying in vain to backtrack, Fox fully expects Kiada to laugh in his face at best or get offended at worse. Phrases from good one all the way up to I'm sorry I just want to be friends flash through his mind at breakneck speed. So when she says yes, of all things, it takes the hunter a good few seconds to even realise what's happening. (Coincidentally, this gives Kia as much room to manoeuvre around as she likes).

"Yes?" he echoes dumbly, silenced by a kiss he can't help to melt into, and it's with tingling fingers that he tentatively wraps his arms around the harpy and offers a smile. "For real yes?" Laughing softly and leaning in for another kiss, he holds her closer, wanting to taste the liquor on her tongue and the joy in her expression. "Fuck," he mumbles suddenly, drawing back and blushing up at her.

"I didn't even ask for permission. I mean... is that... would... is Deimos going to kill me?"

Fox Sinclair