cinders take shelter in the pit of his lungs, awaiting flamesā reignition. but the gentle waterfalls of a heartās tears meant it had wept enough to flood, moisten coals burnt to the touch. coincidentally, there may be no more firesĀ ablaze in his chest, those birthed by the voice in his head that so desperately sought to deter his affections. well, at least until the falls ranĀ bone dry. for now, heās access to the reservoir, able to tap into it.
it was the least he could do, though, given that heād already put his own heart through so much suffering ā- appease it, for the time being. until tomorrow comes and heās faced with another villain, another slaughter. and he could feel his own body recoil in response to such thoughts, his stomach twists in pain, a feeling heās so accustomed to heās desensitized to the ache. in favor of his resolve, he often ignored the gut - wrenching feelings in his stomach. just as he did now. even so, there is space between them again. his own hands dangling at his sides until deciding to rise, settling themselves āpon either sides of him, on the very tops of his hips. ravenās voice cutting through morbid thoughts, making him focus on just that : the rough timbre that held enough melodic strength to calm him. though, it was not always like that.Ā
ā i didnāt break your jaw when you kissed me the first time, right? iād say thatās repayment enough. ā in all honesty, however, there was a need of repayment for allowing him to exhume feelings from graves long since buried āā and he intended to pay raven back for it. just not now. maybe in the future when he was able to fully commit himself to these feelings of adoration; when he could truly say without a doubt that this was love. doubt would always find its way here, beckoning him back to the darkness where heād belonged āā back into isolation. he would just simply have to fight it. like he fought off everything else.
ā yeah, yeah. pick a place, and iāll take you there, alright? as long as youāre still alive and kicking, iāll keep my word. ā a quiet promise to echo within even his own conscious, to enforce this newfound feeling of togetherness. it acts as a small, very minor admission : he would be here, by ravenās side. such confessions did not come so easily and as plainly as one would have liked, but it is what he could offer for now āā simple acts of kindness that voiced his emotions.Ā
ā i think thatās proper enough. ā single brow quirks, though lips betray him with a gentle upward curve. new feelings were rather difficult to deal with, but he would make do, even if they make him slightly unnerved. legs shifting unconsciously, forcing his weight to waver from side to side. ā i have some time now if you want to āā ā he gestures behind him. accompanying it, a shrug, hoping to add some nonchalance to his words while an index finger points towards the direction of bustling townsfolk still so unaware of the tragic love unfolding with each careful sole pressed upon the pavement.
Teeth bare in insignificant grimace--broken jaw may be what he had deserved, silly man with silly thoughts, but it would have come with so many inconveniences. Canāt kiss anybody like that, and present company included, there were many people he enjoyed kissing. Though, he wasnāt particularly put off at the prospect of sticking to kissing just one person for a while--tear and wear was catching up, and getting around was just getting to be plain too much work. Might tarnish his reputation some, but eh, he could live with it.Ā
Ā Ā āLong as Iām alive anā kicking, huh? Yaāve got thā more dangerous life, better not kick thā bucket on me yerself.āĀ Ā It was as close to plain concern as heād get--there was always a pit of worry at his stomach that grew the longer between visits they went. He knew the sorts of business the wolf got up to, and had even sent some his way from time to time. The guilds mostly sorted themselves out sure, made sure to nip their own problems in the bud, and he oft the blade to do so, but resources could get thin. They were getting better, the Union and Altosk built back up enough to handle matters without resorting to extremes, but there were still plenty of neāer-do-wells that remembered how easy they fell before, ready to knock them back down again.
Brows rose--to... what? Catch a drink? Get a meal? Head to his place? Gotta admit, he was a little hesitant to rush into anything more than heavy petting. Wasnāt quite sure what to do, which was a strange thing to say, having thought himself quite the adept lover before this moment. Supposed there was only one way to find out--and besides, itād been some time since theyād had a proper meet up. Had to get his fill of company to make sure the young pup was alright. Make sure he got some food in him and took a breather and all. Boy took things way too seriously on his own.
So he pulls his hands back to himself and shoves them in his pockets, hoping to pull off his own standard nonchalance, goofy grin a bit more lopsided and off-kilter than normal, albeit with a buzz, a waver of excitement.Ā Ā āLead thā way. Not like I had pressinā business. Iām all yours fer thā afternoon. Maybe even thā night.āĀ Ā A playful nudge is given as he moves to take his place beside the wolf, elbow catching to signal continued interest, and that, yes, he will be walking too close to be properly comfortable, and that maybe, if Yuri asks nice enough, heāll even hold hands, watching eyes be damned. Heād bet his gald someone had already seen that kiss and heād catch a good heckle later, so he might as well make it something of a proper show, if his partner didnāt mind playing a role.
Strange day this, but heās thinking it a good day. Yuriās back at his side and theyāve time to spend together, and thatās all that really matters. Why, itās so good a day, he almost feels like whistling.