Continued from here with @gloomfaithed
Darius watched her take his gift, waiting with baited breath as she opened it. Her face was almost unreadable, a mask hiding what might've been a mixture of emotions. He saw a flickers of surprise, awe, and doubt, but her composure was strong. Still, she seemed as shocked as he was by this mad turn of events. Yet her question still caught him like a side-swipe to the head.
The Mando blinked at her, his black and silver eyes wide with astonishment.
"Don't desire you?" he echoed in disbelief. He stepped over to her, slipping his hand around hers. "Talon, I'm asking because I desire you. I desire you very much! I—"
He glanced away, his mind staggering at the thought that she didn't feel wanted by him. He flitted through every action, every word he might've said... He'd only done what he thought was right and proper, maintaining those boundaries left sacred by both Esverrans and Mandalorians.
Had he really made her feel that unwanted?
"Talon, if I made you feel unwanted, I apologize. I never meant to do that to you, ever. But I need you to know that I come from two very strict cultures. As Esverran Videre, I could see things others couldn't, things that would lead to huge temptations if left untrained. So I was drilled on how to behave and treat others properly, including rules on when to be intimate. That training was only compounded by my time with the Watch who believed a Mandalorian shouldn't even doff their helmet unless with their family members."
Darius's features softened as he lifted his other hand to cup Talon's cheek. "But with you as my partner, my spouse, I don't have to worry about any of that. We can just be us and see where it leads us."
