flora
He kissed her back, just long enough for her to rise into it; for her body to arch, to press herself eagerly against him, already half-lost in the rush of sensation and the burn of her own breath. Her fingers were already curling behind his neck, drawing him closer—
And then he was gone.
Sand scraped against her calves as she dropped, the knot of her legs uncoiling, her ring twisting between her fingers with a practised flick. The world blinked her back into view in a wash of sunlight and breathlessness: cheeks flushed, braid mussed, tank top wrinkled and tugged half to one side, exposing more skin than she'd intended.
But the worst of it was the look on his face. Hands held up like she was some sort of threat. Like he needed space.
Flora blinked. Once. Twice, and just like that, the scream was back—coiled tight in her chest, trying to claw its way out.
Formidable. Gods, that’s what he’d landed on?
"Formidable," she echoed, voice flat and raw. "Right."
Pushing herself up from the sand, she knelt with her arms loosely braced over her thighs, eyes fixed on him like she was trying to read a book she didn’t remember checking out. It was only a second—two, maybe—but the silence between them pressed heavy.
"Is it..Maea?"
And then he was gone.
Sand scraped against her calves as she dropped, the knot of her legs uncoiling, her ring twisting between her fingers with a practised flick. The world blinked her back into view in a wash of sunlight and breathlessness: cheeks flushed, braid mussed, tank top wrinkled and tugged half to one side, exposing more skin than she'd intended.
But the worst of it was the look on his face. Hands held up like she was some sort of threat. Like he needed space.
Flora blinked. Once. Twice, and just like that, the scream was back—coiled tight in her chest, trying to claw its way out.
Formidable. Gods, that’s what he’d landed on?
"Formidable," she echoed, voice flat and raw. "Right."
Pushing herself up from the sand, she knelt with her arms loosely braced over her thighs, eyes fixed on him like she was trying to read a book she didn’t remember checking out. It was only a second—two, maybe—but the silence between them pressed heavy.
"Is it..Maea?"
Every single thing I touch becomes sick with sadness
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
'Cause it's all over now, all out to sea
