@1stmurderer cain asked for eve : SENDER shields RECEIVER from prying eyes.
eve felt uncomfortable under the weight of their stares. she had been made to draw attention, shaped with the kind of beauty that invited lingering looks and prying eyes. it was not something she had chosen, yet it followed her wherever she went. that kind of beauty was difficult to ignore, and at times, it could be dangerous. it attracted curiosity, desire, judgment, thing she had learned to endure in silence. ( you were made to serve and that is all. )
she should be used to it by now. she should know how to handle it. how to lift her chin, how to ignore the whispers, how to pretend it did not make her skin crawl. and yet, somewhere deep in her core, she still wished she could simply disappear from their sight. that she did not have to feel the weight of being watched like something to be admired ... or claimed. her thoughts were interrupted when cain stepped in front of her.
her eyes widened slightly at the sudden movement as his body shilded hers without hesitation. he stood tall, talled than she was now, broad-shouldered, strong, no longer the boy who once clung to her hand for comfort. the sight of him like this always carried something better-sweet within her. he was a grown man. so different from the child she had raised. so different from the boy who used to look up at her with innocent eyes.
her slender fingers rose instinctively, coming to rest gently on his arms. the touch was light, almost tentative, as if she were grounding herself. or perhaps trying to ground him. she did not pull, did not push. she simply sought his attention through that quiet contact, hoping he would understand what she did not wish to say aloud. she did not want him to act out of anger. not for her.
❝ it's fine, we can just leave. ❞ her voice was calm, soft ... steady in contrast to the tension she could feel in him. there was no fear in her tone, only a quiet attempt to ease the moment before it could turn into something worse. ❝ i'm not feeling that good anyway. ❞ it was only half a lie. the discomfort in her chest had nothing to do with illness, and everything to do with being seen, and with seeing cain ready to fight battles she never wanted him to fight.
𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓, 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐃 ... 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒.