He was ready for her to take the feather, but instead, her delicate and alluring touch found its way to his wrist. With a small effortless pull, he came into her embrace. She could sense the unease in his voice and cast it aside with a simple gesture and without words. She managed to find a new place to leave her mark on his body and his hands glided to her waist. With her legs wrapping around his waist he held her back and pulled her body closer to the edge of the table and against him. Her skin was as smooth as the silk garment draped around her body.

The way she looked at him, tore at the veil of clouded emotions between them, letting truth breach begin to breach its way through. His hands gently squeezed her, and he longingly looked at her, "It won't be the last then." She hid her face against his chest and her breath spurred him to run his hand up her back to her shoulder. His fingers grazed up the middle of her back along the way and brushed by her long hair.

He knew what that feather meant to her, and it had yet to be spoken aloud but he felt the same for her. He was just as intoxicated by her presence as she was with his. Although it made him realize that all this time she was holding on to something dear and he'd yet to find a memento to keep and remind him of her on the inevitable days they would spend apart.

A pinch came quickly after his silly never-ending wind reference. He chuckled in a low voice next to her about it. "That won't be the last pinch," he teased about his infinite ability to relate things to the wind as well as a subtle way to let her know he planned to stick around and explore magnetic energy was between them.

She always knew how to get to him, but that was a part of her charm. A part of the heightened emotions that urged him to kiss the first time by the tree. It was irritatingly attractive. With just a few sentences she could make him annoyed and care for her more at the same time. But if it always led back to her arms it was a well worth it. Hard to believe the voidling had clawed her way out of the pit only to find an angel to hang on to.

"Someone wants him dead?" he shook his head with a grin. "I'm not surprised. but I'm glad it worked out." He knew the man would get into hot water eventually but he was too tenacious to die anytime soon. it was impressive how quickly she could dismiss that topic after having used it against him.

"Of course," he replied when she asked him if he wanted to stay the night and followed her back to the bed. After pulled her in for the kiss at the tree, and having come knocking at her door in the night, it was comforting that she was confident enough to pull him around too.

They laid down and her fleeting gasp caused the wind mage to look at her with narrowed and curious eyes. He didn't ask about it, assuming it was just thirst or fatigue from the day. She rolled over to lay on him and he brought his arm around to rest atop her with his hand by her shoulder and gently massaged it.

He smiled at her apology and the very skillfully crafted second sentence. "Don't worry about it. It's part of what I like about you," he replied as he brushed the hair from her cheek. Despite how tired she was, the woman still managed to have a mischievous tone. He gave a pause as he touched her chin to bring her face up to his and he let their lips lock once more.

"I'm glad you were patient," he replied but the real question that hung in the air was what way did she mean. But what they had now was something precious and something he wanted to hold onto. With all that happened, he hardly realized just how tired he was. The time he spent on the island had caught up with him.

The wind mage rested his head next to hers and fell fast asleep. His breathing was slow and calm and his heartbeat in the night against the silence in her chest. Instead of it being off-putting, he found a sense of blissful comfort in it. Something that was so uniquely a part of Nuala.

Before he knew it, the sun was beaming into the rooftop window. Its warmth danced on his face and woke him peacefully. He let out a small groan and opened his eyes with a smile. It was more like a dream than anything but he was still by her side. He made no attempt to walk out into the day. Instead, he whispered, "Good morning Nuala," A simple phrase, and but with a new meaning for the two lovers that now shared a bed and not just a campsite.

Nuala waited until the Captain had fallen asleep; it didn’t take very long and after a few minutes into the silence of the night she could feel his breath becoming even and his muscles relax. The Voidling peeled herself from from his arms, snuck out onto the balcony and from there climbed on top of the roof so she could overlook the city of Astera. Even Nuala had to admit that the coastal town was beautiful at night – the sound of the ocean waves against the pier were calming and thousands of tiny dots of lights against the dark facade of the night made for a beautiful picture and a romantic setting.

Nuala pulled her knees closer to her body and began smoking a cigarette. It’s always been a bad habit of hers, one that was amplified by her annual ‘time of the year’. The Voidling gazed at the stars and allowed her thoughts to roam free for the night while casually taking one drag after another. Her thoughts were with the Captain. She would have to leave him soon if she wanted to keep this secret hidden from him, and although she hated the idea of leaving him behind Nuala thought she was doing what was best for herself. A part of her could still hardly believe that they had started sleeping with each other and that–within a matter of two, three days–everything had become so intense – it felt unreal.

After approximately an hour out on the roof the Voidling climbed back inside and quietly closed the balcony doors. The Captain was still sound asleep and she brushed a few strands of hair from his face before lying down next to him. Just one more day, she told herself and gave him a goodnight kiss before finally falling asleep. The next morning came quicker than anticipated and she was awoken by a very content Nephilim, to whose words she could only respond by rolling over to the other side of the bed and doing a few cat-stretches.

She groaned and the bones in her entire body were clicking and cracking into place. “Ah,” she moaned and did some more stretching. “I really need to work out more.” Nuala did quite well at playing off her loss of strength (or so she thought) and when she spotted the Captain’s cute face from the corner of her eye, she almost couldn’t believe that she was finally allowed to lean over and kiss him. So instead of that, she playfully tilted her head to the side and gave him a curious look.

“Why is there a naked Guild Master in my bed?” She asked innocently.

She responded by rolling over to begin her loud morning ritual of cracking all her bones. A side-effect of a life filled with fitness and combat. While she stretched he scooted himself into a seated position and rolled his head from side to side to stretch his neck, which was still covered with purple marks from the night before. "Probably just stiff after those werewolves. I need to work on not being so destructive," he remarked and reached to his side out of habit to grab a glass of water that he usually kept by his bed but this wasn't his bed and there was no glass of water there.

It was a new feeling to be sharing a bed with her after all this time. but nothing about it felt strange to him and more natural than he would have guessed, and he liked it. The wind mage yawned and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He still had yet to give any thought to what was happening at the guild or what they had been up to while he was off gallivanting around an island. He was lucky enough to have a structure that gave them enough independence to act on their own without him being there. It afforded him the opportunity to sneak away for days like this.  She returned and gave him a look that almost made it seem like she was going to move in for a kiss.

Instead, she asked a question and a cheeky smile crept on the wind mage's face, "I think a thief kidnapped me and stole all of my clothes."  He let that sentence hang in the air for a moment to see her reaction. With a more genuine look and a soft voice, he added, "Or maybe. This guild master just prefers to be here." He stroked the enchantress' cheek with his hand.

"That is if you don't mind sharing it with a former knight,"he asked even though he already knew the answer. Today marked a different day, and he could feel it in the wind. Something changed between the two of them and this was the first day to be spent together in this new dynamic of unspoken love and desire. As much as he tried not to cloud his mind with thoughts it lurked there anyway, a pull between enjoying all that they were doing and trying to hold on to an idea of what it was.

"It's hard to imagine isn't it," he didn't know why he said it, but it just came out. He looked into her eyes as his back rested on the headboard of the bed. he could barely believe it was real and had been plain as the clear sky in front of him all this time. The streets below had barely begun to stir and only its muffled noise could drift up to their fourth-floor sanctuary.

“Not at all,” said Nuala; the Voidling had sat down comfortably in her position, with a respectful distance between the two of them, but once she noticed the Captain reaching for something that wasn’t there, she hopped out of their bed to fetch him a glass of water and sat down on the edge by his side. “Here,” she handed him the glass and rested her hand on his chest while continuing. “I don’t think you need to always worry about being destructive at all,” she gave him her opinion, but what he chose to do in the end was ultimately his choice. Nuala didn’t quite believe in taking baby steps and she knew that the Nephilim purposely used his magic so gingerly and even though she didn’t know the reasons for that, she didn’t mind if he let it all out once in a while. It was quite refreshing to see him so forceful, to be honest.

Kazimir’s sassy response to her question caused the woman to react in surprise; her eyes widened, she arched a brow and her lips curved into a crooked smile. When his hand found its way to her cheek, Nuala leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, as if to tell him that she didn’t regret a single thing she had done since they found back to each other. “If anything I’m relieved you’re not a knight anymore,” she remarked after their kiss and rested her head against his chest. Nuala never liked the idea of Kazimir being forced to yield to both – his sense of duty and his grace. She wondered whether the Captain had ever truly felt free and what he used to be like before joining the military.

His next words were spoken with a sense of carefreeness, yet it made the thief sit up and look at her partner. Sudden worry and concern crossed her expression and her eyes reflected a sense of uncertainty. Nuala’s lips parted as if she were to say something, but when his eyes locked with hers the woman turned her head away and looked out of the window instead. “Not for me,” she admitted after sometime and breathed a sigh. Her fingers trembled on top of his chest and eventually clenched into a small fist. “I have been imagining this for some time now after all,” she didn’t want to say ‘since I’ve met you’ because those words would have been closer to the truth than she was willing to admit. She had always liked him. He was knightly, ever the gentleman and very soft spoken. His handsome face, kind smile and even his flashy angel wings were hard to resist and she had completely failed in doing so – without regret of course, because Nuala had wanted him regardless of what or who stood between them and she knew that in due time he would be hers anyway.

But Nuala also knew that Kazimir and her were polar opposites in every sense of the word. He was lawful, she was a thief, he had been blessed with grace and she had been cursed by the void. She couldn’t think of a single thing they had in common, and yet he was–in her mind–her perfect match. Whether he thought the same of her was something Nuala didn’t want to waste any thoughts on, at least not while she was still in his presence. With her fist still clenched and her amethyst eyes peering out of the window, Nuala could see the massive building of his guild from afar. Her hand slid down to his leg and eventually she took it away completely, running it through her long hair instead. The ocean of soft, purple strands of hair fell loosely past her shoulders and she gently brushed through it with her fingers. Playing with her hair was something Nuala rarely did.

“Do you think what we're doing is okay? Do you think it’s right?”

He watched her as she brought the glass of water, surprised at her small action of sentimentality. "Thank you," he said softly as she sat next to him and he took a small drink of the water. Her hand fell tenderly on his bare chest, and she reassured him about his magic. One of the few times someone told him not to worry so much. He had always held back. His magic put the safety of his allies and citizens in danger, from being in cities to rescue missions. Especially for her safety when they traveled together. Despite the treasure that was probably collateral damage, she didn't seem to mind now. The only time he really let his magic free was when he was alone or during the grand magic games. And then perhaps the other day when he thought she was in trouble and brought down his most powerful spell.

"You seem to always know just what to say," he smiled back at her and let his hand rest on her hip. There was never a moment that she didn't accept him for who and what he was. Everything he was, from knight to joining a guild and being an angel. There was no hesitation in her at all and he felt the same for her. Voidling or not he wasn't shaken by where she came from or what she was. If anything he found it fascinating but regardless she was simply a woman now dear to his heart.

Her kiss carried the same energy as their first and came with a rush of certainty between them. He let his lips part slowly from hers before she spoke again. He stroked her arm with a smile at her comment, when she laid her head against his chest. "And why is that? " he began and looked up out the window, "Honesty, Not much has really changed for me. I feel like I still live like one. Ever since I stepped foot in Fiore I was Knight." He was talking about himself but he saw Nuala as the real mystery. She had lived such a long life and filled with pain. He always wanted to know more about the person she was and what she had been doing for the decades of her life, but he held back his questions for fear they would unearth more sorrow than the answers would be worth.

Kaz's brow furrowed, riddled with confusion and concern at her sudden change in disposition. Her first words struck a chord in the wind mage's heart. He put his hand on top of her clenched fist. It was different to see Nuala so vulnerable. The cold and calculated assassin with a heart for him. He was blind to her emotions for so long, not until that day in the cave. And even now since they started to be together he didn't think of all the emotions she may be going through as they were so caught up in each other.

Her hand slipped out from beneath his and she turned away. Her hair tumbled around her shoulders as she played with it. Something he had only seen once in a blue moon and told more of a story than even her words could say.

He scooted closer to her with a deep breath when she asked him. Time to face those thoughts after all, and she deserved to know. In their short time of intimacy, Kaz opened up the feelings hidden for her. Something that sparked the moment he saw her running on the rooftops in a dress that captured his attention. There was a look in her eye that night before they parted with her fingers on his lips that he knew, but chose not to face it.

For him, he couldn't help but smile as he thought the question was silly. She was wonderful and both strong and compassionate. Even her devious and mischievous side was attractive. With each look she gave him with her amethyst eyes, he was enchanted more and more. They may have been so apparently different but it was in that difference he found solace. That he found something right.

He moved closer to her. His chest eased against her back and his hands glided around her waist to hold her from behind. He put his head beside hers. The smell of her body giving his heart a heavy thump against his chest in preparation for what he would say. The heart that was beating hard slowed down and he hugged her tighter against him. The silence between them echoed as he moved his hand down her arm to her hand once more. This time his fingers traversed the back of her hand and between her knuckles and eased in between her fingers. With their fingers interwoven and pressed into the soft fabric of the sheets, he said, "Nuala...Everything about this...is right. It just took me longer to realize it."

The Captain appeared to be entirely enchanted by Nuala’s act; the soft-spoken Nephilim looked at her with googly eyes and she knew better than anyone that the male was absolutely smitten with her. To say that it hadn’t been her intention to seduce Kazimir would be a lie, but she was still surprised to see just how well everything had worked out – how well they had worked out. From the moment he had started falling for her, there was little resistance and reluctance and if anything, Nuala would say that he was happy to love her and even glad for it. It made their situation a lot easier and the Voidling could pride herself in being such a catch.

“That’s because I think before I speak,” she responded, the snarkiness in her voice not meant to be a jab towards him. Kazimir’s calm and cool demeanour was one of the things she respected the most about the Captain, and it made working alongside him significantly easier. It was also nice being around someone who wasn’t hot-headed, constantly yelling or just overall a cocky mess. They kissed again and Nuala found it utterly interesting how natural their physical relationship already was – every kiss was very much needed, there was no awkwardness between them and both were almost a little too eager to be intimate with one another. So much so that she totally expected the entire day to be filled with nothing else.

But of course they had to have the serious talk first.

When Kazimir moved closer to her, Nuala forgot how to breathe. “Captain, I–,” she started, but was silenced by his heartbeat thumping against her back. The Voidling’s throat ran dry and even though everything was happening the way she had anticipated it, it still felt pretty surreal. Their fingers intertwined with one another and for a moment there, the usually impassive woman felt the heat rush into her head and her cheeks turning red. Oh god, she thought to herself and was grateful that he wasn’t sitting in front of her right now. Nuala felt light-headed and somehow she knew that it wasn’t just because the Captain was going to admit how he truly felt about her. The woman bit down on her lower lip and gently moved up against him; both straps of her nightgown had slipped down her shoulders by now and when his words came out, Nuala thought she was going to pass out.

But instead, her heart skipped a beat. Literally.

Heavens above, she cursed, silently of course. Worst timing ever. The Captain hadn’t said anything yet and from what she could tell, he was too busy feeling her up and down anyways. Nuala swallowed hard, turned around and gave him a half-hearted smile. “Too fucking long,” she blurted out, meaning every word she said. Nuala was trying her best to hide the mild panic now taking place on her face, so instead of becoming sentimental, the kinda-Voidling got naked that very moment, shoved her tongue down his throat and took her sweet time dragging him across the bed, floor, table, shower and frankly, every other surface she could find inside for the next few hours.

The snarky remark she gave was one upon the many small details he found enticing about the woman. She was quick-witted and didn't hold anything back. No one could argue that she was the type to speak her mind, but not all got the chance to see her vulnerable side as he had. The seamless fluctuation from stout-hearted to the tender maiden. Their physical chemistry had consumed most of their newfound time together. Time enough to make up for lost time and what-ifs.

The wind mage couldn't help but smile at the voidlings loss of words. Finally, she had been the one unable to finish a sentence, taken by the thrills of passion. The tension between them was rising just as it had the first time on the island where he found himself acting on impulse. indulging himself in the seductive woman he held. With his face so near to her own, he just barely caught the red hue that flushed her cheeks and he let out a soft breath upon her neck.

She moved up against him, only to cause the pounding in his chest to crescendo. The straps of her nightgown fell to reveal the smooth skin beneath. Skin that he had traced with his lips many times already and would return to before the day had gone. Once he spoke the words he knew she had been waiting to here, she faced him with a look more fueled by desire than before. Their long-term thoughts were still left unspoken but he knew what he wanted now. He wanted her in every way, and she felt the same. Nuala let the nightgown fall off and Kaz slipped off what clothing he still wore.

Before he could do anything, Nuala had made her move and Kaz readily gave her all she desired. For the next few hours, They let themselves run wild, across every surface in the place. They found themselves on the floor with sheets tangled and still half clung to the bed.

Kaz was covered in exhaustion and breathing heavily. Slowly his breath began to settle and his heart found a more liveable tempo. He rolled over to Nuala for another long kiss followed by a second and laid next to her. There were no words to describe what he felt so he dared not try to find any or perhaps just too tired to muster the energy for it. She was precisely what he wanted, free, untamed, and active. it reminded him who he felt when he ran free through the wilderness, the feeling off being untethered by the world. And this moment stirred something more dormant within.

He laid on his back with one arm under her head and the other spawled out. His bare chest faced the sky and rose and fell with deep breaths. His face turned towards her as he shut his eyes, "You're amazing," he said before drifting into a deep sleep.

Kaz’ eyes closed, and he slept deeply, his slumber marking the peaceful ending of their accidental romantic getaway. Her fingertips traced every line and each muscle on his chest and her amethyst orbs observed the little movements of his body with cat-like fixation. The sun’s rays drizzled down on his skin and the little specks of light that fell through the roof window highlighted the man’s features perfectly; the shape of his jaw, the natural curl of his lashes and the interesting purple hue of his hair made for a beautiful picture – he was absolutely divine and never before had the woman been so enchanted with another worldly being. Kaz was perfect, and he was finally hers.

“I'm sorry,” whispered Nuala, and her voice was just barely that – a whisper.

Her lips pressed against his naked skin, and she planted a kiss just above where his beating heart was. Not wanting to leave, the thief only reluctantly removed herself from her lover’s side; she was hesitant to begin her journey across the country, as her travels would lead her further away from him than she liked, but Nuala did what she thought was best, and because she didn’t know any better. A part of her wanted for the Captain to learn her secret, if only so he could experience a more pure, delicate side of hers – something that was deserving of his own virtuous nature. But after the more recent events of Kazimir’s life had taken place the way they did, Nuala thought it would be tactless to burden him with her sudden fragility.

And so the woman decided against it.

The Voidling silently slipped from the sheets, dressed herself and collected her belongings. By the time she finished, Nuala had removed every trace of hers from the room they had shared and she was reminded of just how short their time together had been – and how much had changed between them in a mere few days. It was too natural, and that was their only flaw. He was the only person she could let herself fully fall asleep next to and in these trying times, the sense of protection and safety he offered was what she needed and wanted. A heavy sigh rolled over Nuala’s lips as she kneeled down by his side of the bed and tore a page out of her diary.

In the heat of the moment Nuala was unable to express her emotions the way she wanted to – in the past and today as well. She didn’t want to leave without telling him how she felt (and of course she was sure he already knew) and so she decided to leave him a message. The page from the thief’s diary showed a coal drawing of the man and aspects of his appearance she was unable to stop thinking about; his smile and the shape of his mouth, his long hair and the pair of wings spreading beautifully from his back – all of those things had been captured on the slim piece of paper and the numbers at the bottom left revealed its creation date to be the night they had gone on their first adventure together.

With a heavy heart, the woman stepped outside and quietly closed the door behind herself. Her next journey would lead her down to Marigold, a city in the southern parts of the country. She didn’t know when they would see each other again, but somehow the Voidling couldn’t shake the feeling that Kaz would start looking for her more actively from now on. Nuala pulled her hood deeply into her face, hurried down the stairs and before the Captain could do anything about it, she had mounted her horse and ridden past Astera’s borders.

Silence filled the room except for the gentle results of sheets that wrapped around the mage as he stirred. A deep inhale followed as he flexed his shoulders. He rose his hand in a half-slumber and rubbed his two-fingers above the place near his heart, "Nuala," he wistfully called in the room, still able to feel the tender kiss planted there.

With no answer, he rolled to his side and reached over, only to hang his arm in the air over nothingness. His eye opened to see a room void of all the things that gave it personality. Only his clothes laid on the floor at the foot of the bed. He rose up and looked around with his mouth ajar. He slumped back against the headboard. He could still hear the thralls of passion from the night before, and it only served to make him question why she left. The second time now that feelings had peaked for her to respond by leaving.

His feet swung out and eased onto the cold floor. He didn't attempt to call out to her and relegated himself to looking out the window. If her things were gone, she was long gone by now...and maybe she wanted it that way.

"Back to work it is then," he said aloud with a solemn expression. This was one time he would have delighted in missing a day of work. The past few days had been a blissful escape. Maybe things were all too sudden for her. Maybe she needed to clear her mind. He thought of countless reasons for her to sneak away in the night but all that mattered was that she was gone as quickly as she had come back into his life. Like the last time, maybe she would find her way back to him...when she was ready.

He stood from the bed and took in another deep breath, then knelt to pick his clothes up from the ground. As he leaned forward a singular page caught his eye. It was resting on the side table and smeared with coal. Kaz grabbed the only object in the room with any semblance. A smile gleaned across his face. His fingers ran down the side of the page until they reached a date. One that he knew better than most.

"So...even then," he said with an ever-widening smile. A thunderous zeal drummed in his heart with the beating of a journey ready to unfold.

"I guess that means it's my turn. Now," he said and threw his jacket on as he walked out of the hotel. He had no idea where she had gone or for what reason. She could have gone anywhere in the country, but he knew a good place to start. No matter what her intent behind the message she left with the drawing it only said one thing to the wind mage...' find me.'

-Exit-