[SE] Ignore all the burdens that you keep

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

It’s freezing! came Maea’s exclamation, startling the soldier. He reflexively started to turn, catching himself just in time to keep his eyes on the crystals adorning the cave wall ahead. ”I’m surprised,” Liam said. ”I would have thought it would be warmer, given the location.” He said it absently, an uneasy concern creeping into his voice. Would Maea be alright? He remembered the time she’d pushed him into the Stone Symphony, laying down beside him in her fierw shift, only to emerge with her teeth chattering. What did he have to offer her this time aside from body heat to warm her up?

He heard the water shift behind him, chased by a small gasp; deciding that he needed to have some way to keep tabs on Maea, Liam decided to fill the silence. ”You know,” he commented, his voice light and teasing, though someone who knew him well - someone like Maea - might hear the undercurrent of worry. Not worry for what he was saying, but for what his partner was currently going through, and he very much unable to help. ”This has been a much more perilous journey than I anticipated. If you were trying to test me, I’m sure we could have found a less dangerous solution.”

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

"Maybe it's coming from someplace deeper than the lava," she mused, scrubbing away blood and grit with a lathered washcloth. Despite the intense cold, it felt good to clean herself up. Even her hair was dirty after the fight, packed with dirt that crusted beneath her nails. "At least it's fresh - tastes kind of sweet too. Like ice." It was a shame to sully it, honestly, but since the cave wasn't entirely flooded, perhaps there was an outlet at the bottom.

Snorting with amusement, she joked along in an attempt to assuage his concerns. "But then it wouldn't be much of a test, now would it? For your information, mister Dawson, you are passing with flying colors." Water rippled against her thighs as she waded into the deep, bracing for a dip. "A noble sacrifice, a valiant battle against a fierce opponent, riding a dragon into the dazzling sun – " Her voice cut off with a splash, retuning a moment later in a series of huffs and gasps as she re-emerged through the surface. Shivering, but clean. "And now you're still being the perfect gentleman. Are you sure you're not a fairy tale knight escaped from a sentient book?"

Snatching up the towel, she wrapped it around herself, but couldn't resist sneaking up towards his turned back. Clear water dripped from her hair as she leaned in and pressed a cold, wet kiss to the back of his neck.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Liam waited patiently, content to hear Maea’s voice echoing around the cavern. As long as she was talking, he reasoned, she wasn’t turning into a statue - and that, really, was all that he could ask for at the moment.

The soldier laughed along with Maea’s teasing. ”Well, when you put it like that, I am a paragon of virtue,” he said loftily, but the effect was ruined by the smile in his voice and the blush on his cheeks. He wasn’t entirely sure that she wasn’t just biased in his favor, but hey, he wasn’t complaining.

Cold, wet lips pressed against the back of Liam’s neck. The effect was immediate: there was a sharp intake of breath as Liam stiffened under her touch. Somehow, even such a small gesture stoked a fire that demanded he reach to grab her, to pull her into his lap, to kiss her breathless… But she’d just praised him for being a gentleman, and so he resisted the desire to turn, because for all he knew, she was still entirely naked behind him, and seeing that would certainly not do much in the way of maintaining his restraint.

Still, perhaps he should warn her: ”If you keep that up, I make no promises about my self-control.” He was aiming for a joking tone, but it came out rather more breathless than he’d intended. It was just the effect she had on him, and he couldn’t bring himself to lament it.

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Bright laughter rang out into the cavern, ringing against the crystals until the whole room seemed to vibrate. Belatedly concerned about those sharp points coming loose and falling on their heads,  Maea did her best to keep her volume down. But it was hard, when his reaction was so satisfying. "Is that a threat or a promise?" she teased, defiant against the flutter starting up within. How far would she actually be able to push him before he really did lose his cool? A dangerous kind of game... that she found it very hard to steer away from.

Sparing them both, in the end she simple sauntered over to retrieve the fresh shift and tug it over her head. A light affair of pale blue silk, it only reached her knees and fell in flattering waves over her curves. And she certainly had her fair share of those, despite her short stature; coming to their right these days, now that food and rest and frequent training was filling out the gaunt angles of the past few years.
"You can turn around now." Toweling off the long hair, Maea smiled at her partner. Aside from being a bit blue about her lips she had made it through her bath unscathed, looking fair and refreshed as a moonbeam gone astray under ground.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Maea’s laughter brought a grin to Liam’s face; he loved making her laugh, hearing the brightness that echoed in the gloom, more brilliant than any lantern. In truth, it wouldn’t take much from her to break his resolve - a few more well-placed kisses, perhaps, or more of that teasing tone of voice - so he was both disappointed and relieved when silence reigned for a few more moments, until Maea’s voice invited him to turn around.

He was unprepared for her appearance: clad in a pale blue shift that fell to her knees, and in the process of toweling off her pale hair, there was something entirely domestic about the bizarre situation in which they found themselves - like this might have been a home they shared, and this might have been any given day of the week. It did funny things to his heart. Realizing belatedly that he was staring, Liam swallowed hard and moved towards the pool.

”My turn,” he said, kneeling to dip a finger into the water, which was just as chilly as Maea had warned. If he weren’t dirty and covered in blood, he might have gone to her instead, but seeing how clean and lovely she now looked only served to remind him that he was certainly not. ”I’ll be quick,” he added before standing to shuck off his soiled shirt, waiting for Maea to turn around before disrobing further.

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Feeling his gaze like a tangible thing upon her, the faint flutter intensified to a vibration that made her skin feel oversensitive. That magnetic pull was drawing her in, tempting her to put the towel in his hands and see where things went from there. To feel his fingers combing through her hair...
Alas, the knight in him was alive and well, still. "Alright. Take as long as you like. Make it past ten minutes and I'll be convinced you're actually a Mer in disguise." It would certainly explain how he could be this handsome, even while blood-stained and tired. Or did she just like men in red?

Taking over his spot on the blankets, she kept working on her hair until it no longer dripped. Leaving it loose down her back to dry, it proved harder than expected to keep from turning around. Not only because she wanted to see him, but because hearing him move through the water, splashing about in the process of rinsing off, was somehow even more sensual than standing face to face.

"Are you feeling any better?" came her soft question after a while, when the silence became too loaded. He'd been shaking in the aftermath... and while it was tempting to think the absence of such external signs meant there was nothing more to talk about, Maea knew better.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Mer he was not, and he was reminded of that fact as he slipped naked into the cold water. While he wasn’t as impacted as he imagined Maea would have been, Liam still shivered at the contrast between the warm air of the Climb and the chilled water of the pool. Grabbing the soap he hurriedly scrubbed at his skin, watching as bits of blood and grime sullied the otherwise crystalline pool. It was a shame, really, to wash in such a beautiful little place, but hopefully the water had some way to clear and would be as good as new the next time they visited.

Maea’s question broke the near-silence, giving Liam pause. Did she truly know him so well after such a short time? The soldier dunked his head under the water as he rinsed, pushing his hair out of his face as he resurfaced. Then he said, ”I’ll be alright.” Wading from the pool, he added, ”I was just - I thought I was going to lose you.” And he wasn’t sure he would survive that. Not ever again.

He toweled off quickly and pulled on some fresh clothes: a simple white t-shirt and comfortable pants. Then he padded barefoot over to Maea, his damp hair already curling. Taking a seat beside her, he held out his arms, inviting her into his embrace.

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Getting up on her knees only so that she could settle in his lap, Maea slipped her arms around his waist. The scent of soap and clean water lingering in his hair was pleasant and she breathed in with a relief, like the physical separation had been an ordeal. "You won't lose me," she promised, guiding a porcelain-sheer horn around his neck so she could brush the tip of her nose along its cool skin. "I won't let anything do that. Especially not now." Thinking of the dragon living beneath her skin, it felt safe to say. Between that powerful a shift and strategically applied common sense, she should be fine.

Still, her confidence aside, she knew it must have stepped on a nerve for Liam. He'd already lost his family once, and while they'd been alright this time, she understood how it might awaken old ghosts. "You wanna talk about it?" It was an offer, not a request, one he was free to decline if this wasn't the time. Either way, she wasn't going anywhere.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Maea settled in his lap, and Liam wrapped his arms tightly around her, holding her close. It was about more than just almost losing her, really - it was about her almost losing him, too. He'd promised her forever, and he'd meant it; but today, she'd very nearly lost him, and while he might be able to return (if he were able to contact Ronin and Remi), the only guarantee he knew of death was its permanence.

Earlier, he'd been focused on the battle, and the flight to get somewhere safe, and on cleaning up; now, with Maea in his arms, warm and safe and very much alive, he couldn't help it when his mind wandered to his family, and how close this had felt for him to the moment he'd dug them from the crumbled remains of their home. It had been bad enough to have to find their bodies; had he seen them killed, as he had feared today, he wasn't sure he would have survived it, that he wouldn't have just walked off the edge of Stormbreak to escape the pain of their losses. Now he shivered at the thought, his arms tightening around Maea. He buried his face in her shoulder, breathing her in, clinging to her as though she were the only tether he had to the present.

"I know that you're strong," Liam said eventually. "And you're fierce, and you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself. But I want to be able to protect you anyway, and right now..." If today had proven anything, it was that he might be brave, but he was also foolish, and at present he didn't have the strength to follow through on his courage. He pulled away enough to lean his forehead against hers and look her in the eye. "I promised you forever, and I meant it - I'm just afraid of... not being strong enough to keep that promise."

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Seeing him like this was unusual. Used to the calm, unflappable front he normally presented, Maea was humbled by the trust he showed her by letting his guard down. Bringing a hand up she caressed his curly head, leaning her cheek against it until he looked up. "I hear you," she replied softly. Processing what he was saying, it was with a thoughtful hum that she brushed a kiss to his cheek. "I used to hate the idea of being protected," she admitted. "Like it was proof that I was weak, or incapable. But I know what you mean - it's not about that at all." It was the desire to be there for another, to be able to make a difference when things got rough, to step in and lend a hand when they stumbled.

"Can I do anything to make this easier for you? You're plenty strong, the way I see it, and with training and experience I don't see you stopping as a regular soldier..." He had the ability to lead, if he wanted to, a resilient spirit that had known pain and overcome it - and above all, he was kind. Caring. All things that mattered more than raw strength - as long as one stayed off the battlefield. With better weapons and armor to protect him... all that remained was time. And that she could do nothing about save share it with him.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Maybe it was just the trauma he'd experienced that drove him to be so protective, to be so hard on himself when his perception of his own capabilities were skewed. And perhaps that was just what they were now. Hadn't he, after all, managed to take out two of the fyrhund pack? Was he stronger than he gave himself credit for, but so emotionally scarred that he couldn't quite see it?

Swallowing hard, Liam shook his head. "This - just being here - this is enough," he said. Her presence in his arms was grounding, rooting him thoroughly in this moment and chasing the haunting cobwebs from his mind. "If something like this happens again... I just need to be able to reassure myself that you're safe." He ran his fingers through a few strands of Maea's still-drying hair, admiring the silkiness of it. "That we're together." To be able to remind himself that they would be still, even in the aftermath of such a harrowing ordeal.

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Her heart bled for him, upon hearing his reply. Even though he had told her that he cared about her, the weight of that had not fully landed with her. It was dawning on her now, when this strong and capable man professed to need her, just to hold for a while until old trauma subsided. What she had promised him went so far beyond morning jogs and shared dinners and laced fingers on a stroll through the marketplace. This was not a man she could ever walk away from without an explanation, not one who could sit and wait if life got hard and she needed a break. He'd come with her, he'd be out with lanterns searching until the end of days - as he'd promised.

Letting out an awed breath, pale fingers combed through his locks, and began to gently massage his scalp in small, circular movements. Working her way down along his neck and to his shoulders, she sought out knots of tension and kneaded them out. "Then I'll stay where you can see me," she murmured, "and hold me. Any time you want to, you can just reach out. I'll be there." She couldn't imagine a situation where his touch wouldn't be welcome, and even if such a time were to arrive, she'd still stay by his side. Maybe she shouldn't be so happy about it; but it wasn't often that she was needed by someone. It felt kind of nice. The kind of weight that was comforting and bracing, not crushing at all.

"Tell me about the ways you would like to be stronger?" Maybe there was something she could do to help him get there just a little bit faster. Maybe there was something they could do in the meantime that soothed the impatience, the frustration of not being where you wished to be - like her friends had done for her, and were still doing. Maybe saying it out loud would help him find the spark of inspiration he needed to find his path forward. She'd love that for him.

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //

Tryin' to wash away all the blood I've spilt
This lust is a burden that we both share

Maea combed her fingers through his hair, and Liam let out a shuddering breath as she began to massage his scalp, working her way down to his neck and shoulders in a slow, deliciously torturous path. ”I don’t want to keep you from anything,” he said softly. ”I want you to travel. I want you to have everything you want in life -“ Not to feel obligated to stay near him, for fear that he’d break without her near. ”I just want to be the home you come back to.”

Because he did need her now, more than even he could fully comprehend. But his greatest fear - aside from losing her - was suffocating her.

Liam had to think about her question for a moment, and when he answered, it was with a slow, measured pace that sounded much more like himself. Maybe it was the fact that he was identifying concrete things to work on, or maybe it was just the soothing motions of his partner’s fingers smoothing knots from his muscles - but he was starting to calm down, to relax, to let go of the lingering fear that had haunted him all the way into this cavern.

”Well, there’s training,” he said. ”But that’s just time and discipline. I’ll have my sword soon - but I was thinking about maybe getting some armor or a shield, something defensive. And something with healing capabilities.” Items, to surround himself with in order to draw on the strength the gods were willing to bestow. ”I suppose it’s just this - this fear that makes me feel weak. In battle, I’m fine - or at least functional - but after, it’s… hard to relax. To remind myself that it’s not Stormbreak all over again.”

Two sinners can't atone from a lone prayer
Souls tied, intertwined by our pride and guilt

Liam

// won't you breathe with me? //

Feeling his breath slow beneath her fingertips, her ministrations continued to wander, from broad shoulders out to the swell of his upper arms. Being gentle around joints and more firm over pure muscle, she found herself breathing in long, slow draughts of air - partly to keep her thoughts on topic, no matter how tempting it was to let the body beneath her hands distract her.

Not responding initially, Liam was able to speak his mind before she said anything. Reigning in the impulse to offer solutions, she simply listened, nodding occasionally. "Can I ask you... what do you want to do with these things, when you have them? Beyond protecting me - what are you reaching for?" Adjusting her seat to free her tail, it coiled languidly upon the bedroll, expressing her relaxed yet focused state of mind. "For me... what I want... yes, travel is part of that, but with purpose. I want..  knowledge. To learn, about medicine and history and magic, the ways of the gods. About the rules that this world is built on. I want to heal, and help, and I want to build something lasting... and I want to protect my friends, and help them reach their goals." In her dreams, the Greatwood remained at the center of those wishes, and now so too did Liam. "You're one of them, so... it's not really possible for you to keep me from anything I want to do - since I want to be where you are, okay? And the tools I acquire, the aid I seek - all of it is to get closer to my goal. Which has mainly been to stay alive, and with, uh... mixed results." Sitting up slightly so she could see his face better, Maea touched his cheek gently. "What do you want to do? I think if you know that, picking the equipment you need to get there will be a lot easier."

Maea

// won't you take me to your heart? //