Flora
Flora nods in agreement about using her parchment, but the motion is followed by a soft laugh under her breath, the sound warm and shaped like a secret. "Though with the compass, I could probably make it home before the water’s even hot." Her nose wrinkles as she presses a light kiss to the corner of his mouth, an affectionate punctuation that lingers for a heartbeat longer than it needs to. "Thank you," she murmurs, "for thinking of that. Of me."
The way he holds her tighter, the way his voice shifts, now it's her turn to feel the weight of something coming. And for a beat, her heart braces for it. But when it lands—Stormbreak, rebuilding—she exhales, all that tension draining like water down the drain. She relaxes back against him, forehead to his chest for a moment, fingers brushing idle circles along his ribs. "Maybe you should take my compass," she says softly. "That way you’re not wasting time flying back and forth, and you can help more." It’s easy, offering it. A small thing, really—but it’s her gift to him, not just the object but the ease of it, the absence of worry. The combination of being with a man like Jack who had expected her to deal with the distance his profession and his moods required in tandem with being queen, had made Flora surprisingly unclingy, such that Kaisel letting her know well in advance of his plans has her nodding understandingly.
"And if you need anything while you’re there—anything at all—ask, okay? I can totally pop up to lend a hand. Or if you want to bring some of Torchline’s soldiers with you for extra muscle, they’re yours."
When he pulls her in again, this time she doesn’t just yield, she moves with purpose. Shifting, stretching, sliding until he's on his back again so she can sprawl across his chest, the length of her body warm and bare against his. She rests her cheek just over his heart, letting its steady beat settle into her.
She hums her agreement, soft and understanding at first, but when he mentions Koa, she lifts her head, just enough to see the copper in his eyes. Her brows pinch faintly. "Kaisel," she says gently but clearly, "he doesn’t own me."
Her voice is calm, but her body tenses in a way that betrays how long she’s held this. "What happened between me and Koa was a long time ago. Yeah, there’s history, and yeah, maybe it’s messier because you’re family, but he doesn’t get to call dibs on me from when we were kids and use that to decide who I’m allowed to date now." Her nose wrinkles slightly, the thought of it unpleasant and frustrating. "And after everything with Sohalia—especially the way he's treated her the last few months—there’s no way anything would ever happen between us again. Not ever."
The way he holds her tighter, the way his voice shifts, now it's her turn to feel the weight of something coming. And for a beat, her heart braces for it. But when it lands—Stormbreak, rebuilding—she exhales, all that tension draining like water down the drain. She relaxes back against him, forehead to his chest for a moment, fingers brushing idle circles along his ribs. "Maybe you should take my compass," she says softly. "That way you’re not wasting time flying back and forth, and you can help more." It’s easy, offering it. A small thing, really—but it’s her gift to him, not just the object but the ease of it, the absence of worry. The combination of being with a man like Jack who had expected her to deal with the distance his profession and his moods required in tandem with being queen, had made Flora surprisingly unclingy, such that Kaisel letting her know well in advance of his plans has her nodding understandingly.
"And if you need anything while you’re there—anything at all—ask, okay? I can totally pop up to lend a hand. Or if you want to bring some of Torchline’s soldiers with you for extra muscle, they’re yours."
When he pulls her in again, this time she doesn’t just yield, she moves with purpose. Shifting, stretching, sliding until he's on his back again so she can sprawl across his chest, the length of her body warm and bare against his. She rests her cheek just over his heart, letting its steady beat settle into her.
She hums her agreement, soft and understanding at first, but when he mentions Koa, she lifts her head, just enough to see the copper in his eyes. Her brows pinch faintly. "Kaisel," she says gently but clearly, "he doesn’t own me."
Her voice is calm, but her body tenses in a way that betrays how long she’s held this. "What happened between me and Koa was a long time ago. Yeah, there’s history, and yeah, maybe it’s messier because you’re family, but he doesn’t get to call dibs on me from when we were kids and use that to decide who I’m allowed to date now." Her nose wrinkles slightly, the thought of it unpleasant and frustrating. "And after everything with Sohalia—especially the way he's treated her the last few months—there’s no way anything would ever happen between us again. Not ever."
I hope you're sweating the bigger stuff,
finding some peace in an honest love
Hope you stop when you've had enough & throw the towel in
finding some peace in an honest love
Hope you stop when you've had enough & throw the towel in
Code stolen from Queen Sky
