Elizabeth
That particular brick in Elizabeth's pyramid was dull, thick with dust, and slightly askew in the pile after years of neglect and the minor attentions. A combination of work and a desire to be romanced out of her pants left her with few opportunities to properly care for the brick, and Iskra was making its condition achingly apparent.
His deep chuckle at her embarrassment had her groaning a laugh, a smile sneaking onto her lips in light of her own suffering and the way his voice curled comfortably in her ears. The apology made her hands lower to her mouth, slowly emerging from her 'hiding place' as he relented. A fire still burned across her cheeks as she moved cautiously forward with each word, like he was drawing her back into orbit with each swipe of his hand.
Unsure whether he thought she was upset with the teasing, she bit the inside of her cheek, her voice soft and gentle as her hands lowered again, settling delicately against the table once more. "You didn't." Because although she was very aware of every nerve on her reddened skin, there was no anger amongst her self-consciousness. And how could she blame him when he looked so earnest? When he had only been asking very logical, 'scientific' questions that she herself had asked? And to hear that it was all for the benefit of someone else?
Elizabeth hid a wince behind a warm smile when she imagined what lucky girl he might be so invested in. She shouldn't be jealous. She'd only just met the man, and he seemed too kind for her to be anything but happy for whoever it might be. She refused to ruin the night or their budding friendship with her misunderstanding or easily swayed heart. Instead, she bottled a few thoughts for later, ones she'd do her own self-analysis of through journaling and deep thinking; lifting her eyes across the table, she said his name like she might reach out to reassure him. "Iskra, you don't need smut to be impressive." The look in her eyes finished with 'You already are,' genuine and encouraging with a hint of amusement that she carefully curated.
Yet her stomach fluttered at his next question, a butterfly running rampant within her torso, knocking over everything she'd just painstakingly organized within. Any other day, any other night, any other person and Elizabeth might have launched into a theory of human attraction and probabilities surrounding 'love at first sight,' but none of that seemed to matter as Iskra searched her eyes, the depth of his dark gaze giving her the impression that it was more than theoretical curiosity. It made her near-dizzy with something akin to relief.
Feeling both emboldened and light in the aftermath of so many emotions, she gave him a timid smile tinged with the fragile shimmer of longing. "Maybe, but I think there's only one way to know for sure." It was barely above a whisper, almost cautious in case she was reading things wrong, even as she leaned forward slightly, hopefully, as her eyes scanned him back, taking in every inch of his rugged appearance and the softness she found in his eyes.
His deep chuckle at her embarrassment had her groaning a laugh, a smile sneaking onto her lips in light of her own suffering and the way his voice curled comfortably in her ears. The apology made her hands lower to her mouth, slowly emerging from her 'hiding place' as he relented. A fire still burned across her cheeks as she moved cautiously forward with each word, like he was drawing her back into orbit with each swipe of his hand.
Unsure whether he thought she was upset with the teasing, she bit the inside of her cheek, her voice soft and gentle as her hands lowered again, settling delicately against the table once more. "You didn't." Because although she was very aware of every nerve on her reddened skin, there was no anger amongst her self-consciousness. And how could she blame him when he looked so earnest? When he had only been asking very logical, 'scientific' questions that she herself had asked? And to hear that it was all for the benefit of someone else?
Elizabeth hid a wince behind a warm smile when she imagined what lucky girl he might be so invested in. She shouldn't be jealous. She'd only just met the man, and he seemed too kind for her to be anything but happy for whoever it might be. She refused to ruin the night or their budding friendship with her misunderstanding or easily swayed heart. Instead, she bottled a few thoughts for later, ones she'd do her own self-analysis of through journaling and deep thinking; lifting her eyes across the table, she said his name like she might reach out to reassure him. "Iskra, you don't need smut to be impressive." The look in her eyes finished with 'You already are,' genuine and encouraging with a hint of amusement that she carefully curated.
Yet her stomach fluttered at his next question, a butterfly running rampant within her torso, knocking over everything she'd just painstakingly organized within. Any other day, any other night, any other person and Elizabeth might have launched into a theory of human attraction and probabilities surrounding 'love at first sight,' but none of that seemed to matter as Iskra searched her eyes, the depth of his dark gaze giving her the impression that it was more than theoretical curiosity. It made her near-dizzy with something akin to relief.
Feeling both emboldened and light in the aftermath of so many emotions, she gave him a timid smile tinged with the fragile shimmer of longing. "Maybe, but I think there's only one way to know for sure." It was barely above a whisper, almost cautious in case she was reading things wrong, even as she leaned forward slightly, hopefully, as her eyes scanned him back, taking in every inch of his rugged appearance and the softness she found in his eyes.
Dive into the sea of thought,
and find there pearls beyond price.
and find there pearls beyond price.
