Closed [Cedar Amphitheater] Making Amends (Aidara)

[Kovac]

Through the course of his defense, Kovac did not perceive the shift in Aidara's countenance. The Avora was intent on setting the healer straight, in vindicating himself of the same old accusations that Addy, and others, had leveled at him when he was with Shayth. It was not until he had stepped out on a limb and asked for a second chance did the mongrel catch the flash of the Inartan's dimples and the softening of her green gaze, though the woman's pale flesh still wore a crimson flush. Kovac listened, giving the Endal a few inches of space as she explained why "starting over" was a bad idea. Certainly, they already had a rich history, with good and bad memories, but all of them forging something that would be better built upon rather than discarded. Aidara was Inartan through and through, passionate without buffers and direct without regret. That is why her next question, though catching Kovac off balance, did not really surprise him. “What do you feel for me, Kovac? It never really has been clear.” She showed him some mercy, moving back to the stage, allowing him a moment to regroup. Yes, Kovac had been pretty sure of how Addy felt about him, though to what degree he was never sure. Aidara had a free heart. Her relationship with Sira was quite the opposite of the one he had had with Shayth. Where the Eagle Rider had treated him as a possession, Sira and Addy, though the archer believed they loved each other, put little constrains upon the affections of one another. Nevertheless, the prospect of having Shayth, her Wind Eagle, and Sira all angry at him had compelled Kovac to stifle any feelings toward the petite healer. Wind Reach was different now, Kovac was different. He supposed it was time to confess his heart. It was what he had purposed to do upon his return, to confront those whom he cared about. The Avora stepped over to the platform, near Addy, picking up the bottle and taking a swig before setting it back down. "We flirted a lot, Addy. Its kind of what we did, not only with each other. It was fun, a lot of fun." He rested his hand on the stage next to Aidara, leaning against it. "I was with Shayth and well, you know how that was. And you had bonded with Sira, and I saw how you two were. That made things...safe, I thought." Kovac cleared his throat, shifting a bit, finding such honesty more difficult than he had planned. "But the kiss..." A slight curl lifted an edge of his mouth. "That kiss I could not forget." His own green gaze met the Inartan's. "So, how do I feel about you?" He paused, a sincere cast crossing his olive features. "I like you, Addy, I always have. I really would like to be friends." Kovac smiled, his eyes darted down, then lifted again, a twinkle in his gaze. "And to be real honest, I have wanted to roll around on a pile of furs with you since that long hunt!" Kovac chuckled at himself. Maybe he needed some practice at the finer points of honestly, like tact.

[Aidara]

It seemed like forever stretched in the space between Addy’s question and Kovac’s reply. The little woman was left to try and preemptively search out an answer in his face; an expression could tell a lot about a person and what they were feeling, if you knew what to look for, and Kovac was no exception. Emotions ran rampant over his features, clashing and contradicting each other. The healer tried to pick something out of the slightly cocked brow, the slight downturn at the corners of his pursed lips. Joy, sorrow, anger, confusion, so many differing feelings were found there that they told Addy little to nothing at all.

What she did notice above the rest was a hunger in his eyes. It stirred something deep within her gut, her heart fluttering, rapidly rushing a few beats before steadying back into its hurried pace. His mouth, however, had curled down into a deeper frown than moments ago, thoughtful and distracted. It stifled her excitement enough that, when she swallowed, she could practically feel her heart in her throat.

Damn the man. He effectively made her into a wistful, frightened girl that could barely look at a boy without blushing furiously; granted, Addy had never really been that innocently coy, but Kovac effectively stole the natural, aggressive sensuality that the little woman usually wielded to her benefit and with disastrous results. Addy was left fidgeting and waiting anxiously as her question hung between them.

When he finally spoke, Addy hung on every word, voracious green eyes locked on his lips as watched the words form, trying to guess them before they even reached fruition. Almost half a dozen seasons had passed since they met, Addy waiting not so patiently in the wings to have this exact conversation with the Hunter. Now that the moment was at hand, the little woman seemed fit to burst.

“You are an anomaly.” Kovac seemed hesitant to respond, picking his words slowly as if he were afraid to say too much. Or perhaps he was trying to avoid hurting the anxious woman that sat so eagerly before him, that particular thought sending Addy’s heart dropping into the pit of her stomach. “What is the point of safe? Would indulgence really have been that dangerous? Sira and I share. Everyone shares… have you never been into the darkest corners of the Weather, Kovac? Have you walked around our city with your eyes closed?” With her voice little more than a whisper, Addy fought to keep her gaze locked with Kovac’s, the slight arch in her brow daring him to look away. The man’s refusal to enjoy himself was one of the things she had always struggled to understand. “It is not a sin to indulge. I have been trying to convince you of this for seasons now.”

Sticking out her tongue at him, Addy finally dropped her gaze, having said her piece. His response wasn’t exactly what she had expected but… then he spoke of the kiss and she could almost hear the smile in his voice. Catching her lower lip between her teeth in an attempt to stifle her own grin, Addy glanced up at Kovac from beneath a curtain of lashes, her eyes sparkling furiously. “Oh?” The single word dripped from her tongue like a honeyed purr, the hope that she had been clinging too throughout the entire conversation surged painfully throughout her body, warming her from the inside out until even her fingers and toes tingled.

“Friends.”She said the word as if it were distasteful. Kovac still seemed to hold back, but Addy had caught enough from that smile and the tone of his voice when he spoke of their kiss that she felt the dejection melt away as she grabbed hold of the power Kovac had given to her. For so long the Hunter had thrown Addy for a loop, spurning her advances at every turn. It was something the little woman was not used to coping with, each incident sending another spider web of cracks through her confidence. Now, however, she felt a surge of something akin to success. “For you, I would have even rolled around in the dirt.”

Cocking a finger to beckon him closer, Addy reached for the bottle of wine as the man moved forward, lifting it for a swig while never taking her sparkling emerald gaze from his face. Making Kovac wait while she wet her palate with the sharp, sweet liquid, Addy hooked a leg around the hunter’s waist once he got close enough. When the bottle finally met the stone beside her with a sharp thunk, Addy leaned forward, a drop of the spirits still lingering on her lower lip, stopping only when her face was but a breath away from his, their lips almost touching when she finally spoke. “I came here ready for a date. I even got dressed up, only to have you scare my date away...” Small hands slipped over his shoulders, warm fingers applying a gentle pressure to the back of his neck as Addy’s lips curled up into a wicked smile, those dimples flashing. “It seems you owe me, Kovac.”

[Kovac]

Kovac's heart had taken on the rapid thump that always seemed to accompany any proximity to Aidara, driven faster no doubt by the leg hooked around his waist and her arms around his neck. Petch echoed through his head, realizing after so many seasons she could still so easily inspire excitement. That tension grew as the healer applied gentle pressure to the back of his neck, drawing him so close that the Avora could feel her warm breath on his lips. “It seems you owe me, Kovac.” A corner of the hunter's mouth curled up mischievously. Then his lips puckered ever so slightly, and with a firm draw of breath between them, Kovac sucked the drop of wine from Addy's lips, tasting the subtle fruit of the vintage on his tongue. He spoke softly, the edges of his lips barely brushing against hers. "Yes, it seems I do." Safe. With her usual bluntness, Aidara chided him for such a non-inartan concept. The mongrel had played it safe, to his own dismay. He had used his relationship with Shayth as a safe cage, an excuse to avoid getting closer to others he found he cared for, like Aidara, or Chemar. He had been socially dysfunctional and inept, as far as the ways of Wind Reach went. Inartan's didn't bother to classify, name or limit relationships, the race too volatile and passionate, their world too harsh and demanding, to waste time with such emotional administration. It didn't mean that those relationships meant less, in fact, they were savored with gusto. Maybe the halfblood had leaned too much towards his mother's Vantha thinking. Looking back, Addy had always seen that in Kovac, trying to draw out the Inarta soul within him. Well, time and distance changes things, including one's thinking. Aidara was still willing to accept him, and he hoped when he finally confronted Chemar, the dreamwalker would give him another chance as well. Kovac's hands had moved to rest on the petite Endal's hips. "As for me, you never stopped being my friend, Addy. And I will never forget that you saved my life." Kovac continued, their lips so desperately close that the remnant of the wine on her lips smeared across his own. The temptation proved too much for the man, and he pressed his mouth against Aidara's, feeling the soft crush of her full lips against his. It was their third kiss, but it was by far the sweetest, for in it was a freedom they had not shared before. The kiss lingered a long moment before Kovac withdrew, giving the dark red-head a smile. He reached for the bottle and took a swig of the wine. "Tastes much better on you." He teased after swallowing.

[Aidara]

“Saved you literally, metaphorically, mentally, emotionally, physically…” Murmuring the words so that they barely brushed his lips in their passing, a hairs breadth of space between them while she spoke. “It seems you really owe me.” There was a wicked smirk playing at the corners of her mouth when she finished speaking, making no move of her own to close the gap between them, a predatory twinkle in her eye.

Oh how long she had waited, but it only made the victory that much more sweet. Besides Sira, there was hardly a soul within the city that could make her heart beat as wildly within her chest as this man had. It had been the greatest of struggles over the seasons to restrain herself while in Kovac’s presence. And now she didn’t have to. It was almost too much to handle when he teasingly sucked the drop of wine from her lip and it was all Addy could to do not lose her cool right then and there.

Catching his gaze, Addy knew when he meant to kiss her even before he moved a hair, a hungry flash in his eyes telling all that needed to be told. Managing to catch a gasping breath before their lips crushed together, the little woman felt herself react instantly to the heat of him, the passion that burned behind his eyes and on his lips. There was only a moment or two where she managed to hold out, keeping her back teasingly straight as she dominated the kiss, making him lean towards her, reach his hands around to cup her waist, tilt his head back so that their mouths could fit together. But it was only a moment. Before she knew it, a breathy little moan slipped from between her lips as they shifted, her body melting against his chest, the leg that hadn’t already hooked around his waist doing so, drawing his hips roughly against her in one fluid motion.

Her arms wound around his neck as she shifted her weight from upon the stage and completely into his arms, fingers tangling in his hair of their own accord. Their kiss deepened, her tongue searching out and forcing entry to tangle with his own, a desperate quality to the action as if any moment they would be pulled apart. It was like that they stayed until, breathless, the little woman straightened as Kovac drew away. Taking the moment to catch her breath, she straightened her hair and idly inspected her nails while he took a sip of wine, bracing her back against the stage as he swigged.

“Course it does. Chocolate actually tastes pretty good on me too… and those preserved jams? Much better on me than bread.” Leaning forward, Addy had started pressing kisses along the strongly defined line of his jaw, nips here and there paired with a growl low in her throat. Her words were breathy and pressed against the lobe of his hear, which she held captive between her teeth. “Interested in finding out what else tastes better on me?” Her eyes were like liquid pools of desire when she raised her gaze to peer at him from beneath her lashes.

Quite aware that he would have to be solely into men in order to turn down that offer, Addy began playing with the neck of his shirt before he could really give her a proper answer, biting at her lip and visually fighting with her own desires while, even though staying completely wrapped around him, she held off any other advances. It wasn’t until a few chimes had passed since they stopped sucking face that Addy finally spoke.

“You need to wine and dine me first.” Relieving him of the wine bottle, Addy too a generous swig before firmly placing the bottle behind them and out of his reach. “While that might be wine, it doesn’t count.” Raising a brow to ward off any protest, Addy ran her nails lightly against the back of his neck, playing with the soft hair there. “Take me on a date, Kovac, or I won’t let you near my furs.” Though her eyes danced and her dimples made their appearance in either cheek, she was deathly serious. “I’ve waited too long to be denied.”

[Kovac]

Kovac had flirted with Addy for seasons. She played hardball, ruthless in her seductions, taunting him and even humiliating him in a way that just made him want her all the more. Now the Avora was learning that the healer kissed with every bit as much intensity. She seemed to wrap around him, like a constrictor snake encircled its prey. The clutch of his hair in her hands, the invasion of her soft tongue between his lips, her weight in his hands, it was like she was pouring herself into him, and the sudden rush of blood from Kovac's head to parts south made him light headed. By the grace of gods the adhesion between them broke before the half-blood tossed her onto the stage and followed his desires right there. But Aidara cut the man no slack. As she describe the various ingredients that tasted favorably when applied to her flesh, Kovac experienced no decrease in clamoring libido, his imagination taking Addy's boasts and rendering enticing images of those foodstuffs in such use. “Interested in finding out what else tastes better on me?” Kovac could only nod and offer a muffled "uh huh." A date. Yes, he owed her a date. Kovac's body groaned in defeat, every nerve armed and ready to carry forth cut down, belayed by the Avora's own admission. But Addy deserved it, and she was not some Dek to vent his desire upon. Kovac owed, no, wanted to give her some attention, some friendship, and he was all to willing and wanting to offer it to her. "I will Addy," His ornery grin returning, "But not because you are blackmailing me to get into your bryda. I will take you on a date because I want to." Kovac leaned in again, giving her a kiss, not a sloppy kiss, but a lingering one that still held his passion. "Grab the wine." He instructed her, pointing to the bottle as he retrieved his lute. Returning to her side, Kovac took her hand in his, giving her a broad smile. "This way..." Kovac lead Aidara into the warrens. They stopped at his room in the Commons, but Kovac assured Addy that it was not their destination. From his room the archer grabbed a blanket, a lantern and a small bag sitting on a side table. Then he wisked the healer through the warrens until they found themselves in an older part of Wind Reach. Kovac stopped before a pile of rubble that nearly blocked the passage. the tunnel was old, but the fallen rubble was new, most likely from the impact of the erupting peaks during the djed storm. There was a crawl hole in the rubble, large enough to get through. fading orange sunlight could be seen beyond. Kovac tossed the small bag and blanket through the opening, then slipped through it. He had Aidara hand him his lute and the lantern, as well as the bottle of wine. He disappeared for a moment before showing up again, tossing the blanket over the rocks of the hole and offering Aidara a hand stepping through. Once inside, the inartan woman could see that a section of the crater had fallen away right outside the abandoned tunnel. Stretched out before them was Skyinarta, the twin lakes, and the sun setting behind the jagged mountain peaks. The passage section created a small room with a magnificent view. Kovac spread out the blanket, setting aside the lute. Next the mongrel opened the bag and pulled out a bundled cloth. he opened it and laid it out on the blanket, its contents a variety of cheese cut into cubes. A hunk of bread accompanied the cheese. Setting the bottle next to the food, Kovac leaned closer to the inartan red-head, brushing a kiss across her cheek. "Wining and dining....with a view. Oh," He picked up his lute and strummed a soft chord. "And entertainment!"

[Aidara]

“But I said this didn’t count!” Placing fake, though rather convincing, pout on her low lip, Addy slithered from around Kovac and scooped up the bottle of wine, unable to keep the smirk from twisting her lips; the warmth from his kiss still lingered, her heart still fluttering in her chest. There was a bounce to her step that had been missing for more than a season as the little woman scampered after her Date, hurrying a few steps so that she could catch Kovac’s hand in her own, twining her tiny fingers with his.

Though she had expected many jokes and attempts to persuade her into his furs prior to any sort of date, Addy was admittedly taken off guard when their path lead directly to his rooms. Stopping short of crossing the threshold, Addy dropped his hand and gave the hunter a rather affronted look. “Really?” Her tone was almost hurt. The idea of a date had excited her, brought her back years and years when even kissing a boy seemed almost dangerous and forbidden. The Yasi-like excitement died with a hard pound of her heart…. Until she saw the wry grin that Kovac tossed over his shoulder.

Shaking her head and biting down on her lip, Addy flushed and chided herself. Of course, had they not just confessed all sorts of feeligns for eachother? Kovac had known her long enough to realize that the little healer fell hard and fast, making disappointment all the more dangerous. However, the little teasing diversion, once realized, brought Addy right back up again, her pulse resuming that rapid staccato as she took a few steps into the room. Now that she was done overacting, curiosity took over.

Kovac had never invited her to his room before, even as friends. There would have been hell to pay and the both of them knew it and decided not to take the risk. Addy knew, from the many times she had found herself stumbling back into her latest flings room, that ones living space told a lot about the individual. Uncaringly messy could mean negligent or simply too busy to care. It could mean that their priorities sat elsewhere, though not necessarily in a bad way. Too clean could mean obsessive, controlling, or unwilling to be free. Both extremes tended to be excellent rolls in the furs, though the happy medium between messy and clean was always the best. A shame those were the hardest to find.

Attempting to lean casually against the rough hewen stone wall, Addy tried to take stock of Kovac’s room before he caught on; most people darted about frantically shoving things into what was assumed to be their proper places before she could get a good look, but the action told her everything she wanted to know. Kovac, on the other hand, swept in and smoothly gathered his gear before guiding her back out, leaving little time for her eyes to linger, search and decipher. One thing was for certain: There was definitely fewer empty alcohol bottles than she expected.

A good sign.

“So where are you taking me?” Waiting until he could shift the gear to one hand, freeing the other for her to reclaim in her grasp, Addy practically skipped next to the hunter as he lead her winding through the inner warrens. It was no use though, because he stayed smugly silent, supplying her only with heated glances and those infuriating know-it-all smirks.

“It best be somewhere good or else I’m not going to forgive you. Ever. At all.” Filling the silence that stretched between them, Addy simply rambled and paid little attention to where they were going, mostly ignoring the waves and called greetings that were tossed her way as they passed, though her stride did become a bit more fluid and swaying when she noticed the eyes on her, losing the slightly childish hop that she had acquired as she bounced along next to the Avora. “My first date with Sira will be hard to live up too. Do you think you can top it?” If the constant catcalls and whistles that followed the healer down the hallways bothered Kovac, however, he didn’t show it.

By the time they reached the crumbling wall, Addy was thoroughly stumped. Where was he taking her? He clearly had a plan, his footsteps guided by a purpose as they wound through the twisty, darkened hallways. Intent on figuring it out, the little woman was caught off guard when Kovac stopped and tossed his bag through a hole in the wall that she hadn’t even noticed, and in fact had marched right by. Backtracking and bending to catch a glimpse of his face when he climbed on through after his stuff, Addy shook her head and waggled a finger. “Oh no, I’m not going in there. My clothes will get dirt-“

Apparently, that had been taken into account. The blanket that he had gathered from his room fluttered out of the hole, covering the rock and debris that littered the tiny opening and effectively destroying Addy’s argument. It didn’t matter though, for her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw the fabric appear to cover the dust and dirt. He knew her quite well after all, surprise at this face almost taking her breath away. “T-thank you.” There was a tremble to her whisper that caused the flush to deepen the fair skin of her cheeks once more.

Taking the proffered hand with a soft smile, Addy clambered through to the other side, her gaze immediately drawn to the view that lay before them. Having kept ahold of his fingers, Addy squeezed them tightly as her breath caught in her throat; sure, they lived on a mountain and views of the land below were not hard to come by, but the scope of what lay before her, basking in the muted fiery colors of sunset, simply took her breath away. “Good Goddess, that’s beautiful…”

How long she stood there, simply gazing at the simple wild beauty of her home, Addy didn’t know. It had been a long time since she stopped to enjoy anything at all, but it seemed appropriate that after so long apart and with such a wild and dramatic history, Kovac was the one to make her stop and see exactly what she was missing. It was the kiss on her cheek that pulled her back to the present, her gaze sweeping to follow his own and down to the little picnic he had prepared for them. “Oh…”

Biting her lip as her eyes began took on a liquidy glow, all of her willpower set to keeping those happy tears from falling, Addy passed a hand over her face for composures sake before tilting her head back and pulling herself roughly against the Avora. “It’s wonderful!” Trapped between so many emotions, so too was Addy’s tone somewhere between a giggle and a purr. “I didn’t know you had such romance in you, Kovac.” His name was like honey on her tongue, drawn out deliciously as she went to her tip-toes and planted a kiss squarely on his lips. “And I am more than delighted to hear you play again… it’s been far too long… but food first.”

Releasing her grip on him, Addy settled down onto the blanket and began to set out their food, a habit newly engrained into her thanks to new motherhood. Leaving the pouring of the wine to him, the little healer took a cube of cheese and leaned across the blanket to feed it to him, snatching it back before he could take it from her fingers. “Wait…. Better Idea.” Placing the cube between her own teeth, Addy stretched over the spread between them, stopping when their faces were even, her brow arched coyly. Kovac had little choice in his next move, but Addy none the less waited for him to make it.

[Kovac]

Kovac knew Aidara experienced emotions with all the gusto of the Inarta, but to see her reaction, to see the welling up in her eyes, surprised the Avora. Had she cared that much for him? Did no one treat her like this? The halfblood felt a pang of guilt, having put off Aidara so many times, having denied his own affections for her so he could keep his cozy home in the Aeries with Shayth. Kovac's intent since his return was to fix his regrets. Addy's unexpected appearance at the amphitheater was a godsend in a way. They were here now, alone, and he was finally able to pursue what they had been denied for so long. He let Addy's comment about being romantic slip by with only a sheepish grin. The hunter was not very romantic, but the healer had given him a challenge, and more than anything, he wanted to give Aidara what she wanted. And of course, he knew what he wanted. In the meantime, Kovac admitted he enjoyed the quiet moment with Addy alone. He watched as she laid out the food. Addy was always attractive, sexy, to Kovac. But now she seemed...beautiful, her pale skin taking on the deep hue of the dying sunset. Turning to the pack, he pulled out two cups and poured wine into each, and set one before the healer. On this occasion, Kovac would refrain from drinking from the bottle. Aidara offered him a cube of cheese, the Avora lulled into the romance of the setting, when the sassy woman yanked the food back teasingly. Kovac's frown lasted only a tick, as the red head placed the cube between her pearly teeth and leaned in. The avora chuckled mischievously as he leaned in as well. His head angled so he could place his own teeth on the cube of cheese. Kovac pulled the cube from Aidara's mouth, making sure his lips made generous contact with the girl's before leaning back to eat the cheese. "I am finding that you and food make a wonderful combination." The hunter was suddenly regretting not stopping to get some of those food items Aidara claimed tasted so good on her. Swallowing the morsel, Kovac dipped his finger in his wine, then leaned forward again. He traced Aidara's full lips with the tip of his wine-soaked finger, then pressed his lips to her pouty mouth, anxious to have another kiss. His hand found a piece of cheese, and he raised it to her lips, offering her a bite as well. "If you keep feeding my like that, I will play a tune for you." With a lopsided grin Kovac leaned back and took a drink of wine from his cup. He reached for his lute, setting it in his lap and pulling the plectrum free from the strings. The amateur musician tweaked the tuning of the strings until he was satisfied. He already knew what he was going to play for Aidara, having chosen it as soon as he agreed to the date. It was a tune he had written for Aidara over a year earlier, one he had never played for anyone. Kovac would not tell Addy its origins, he was already in danger of becoming a romantic. But the song meant a lot to him, and he was glad to finally play it for her. the Avora looked up at Aidara, meeting her bright green eyes. The desire that still smoldered within him was apparent in his gaze, tempered with the contentment of the moment. Then he began to play. It was a simple tune, upbeat but not rushed, with a melody that rose and fell, just like the temperament of the woman who inspired it. Kovac became involved in the music, swaying slightly, his eyes staring down as if looking at memories. The tune reached a more complex finale, before coming to a smooth end. Once finished, Kovac sat up again, grinning at Aidara. "Now...feed me."

[Aidara]

Leaning forward to tweak the corner of his lopsided smile, pinching his cheek between her fingers, Addy gave the hunter a pair of dimples by way of encouragement, leaning back to lounge on her elbows while he readied his instrument. Music was one thing that Addy had no talent for; even when no one was listening, the woman refused to sing. Something within her ear kept her from ever finding the right pitch, but it didn’t keep her from enjoying when others could.

She had heard Kovac play once before, the shy man who could hardly meet her gaze from across the campfire a complete turn around from the one that had lured her here, into their secluded little spot to eat, laugh and watch the sunset. It was the melody that took her by surprise, the complexity of it, the way that it just seemed to speak to her. Addy found herself speechless, breathless as she listened, enthralled.

It wasn’t until Kovac drew the song to a close that Addy realized it had been her song. Their song, in a way, though they were hardly any sort of couple. Neither of them wanted that, but it was clear that they had a connection far beyond any sort of simple hookup. The song proved it, Addy still sitting in silent shock when the man across from her broke the silence first.

Whether or not Addy realized that Kovac was probably referring to the food that he had spread out between them, the little woman didn’t seem to care as she flung herself forward, her lips crushing onto his before the words could even completely leave his tongue. The cheese had inadvertently been a test that Addy hadn’t even planned on giving, yet Kovac passed with flying colors.

It was one thing to see an old flame again, though it was a stretch even calling them that, after any time apart. It was another for the sheer lust and attraction to go past that and into something more. Addy hardly ever looked more than a good roll in the furs from anyone but Sira, but Kovac had wormed his way into her heart long ago. There was no hesitation in his movements towards her now, none of the guilt shining behind his eyes that Addy had grown so used to seeing and tried so hard to ignore.

The pair went tumbling, mercifully missing the food and the wine that had been poured and set between them. Snaking her arms around his neck as they fell, Addy managed to lift her fingers and let them tangle in his hair only moments before his head would have cracked against the stone; her hand cushioned the blow, a wicked smile curling the corners of her lips as the little woman ended up on top, her legs clamping down securely against his waist.

“Food is second to what I have in mind, dear boy.” Knowing just how much the incorrect expression would rankle him, Addy waited until he drew a breath with which to respond to close the gap between them, her lips locking securely on his as she too took a deep breath, drawing the air right back out of his lungs.

Knowing that it wouldn’t be a very comfortable feeling, Addy didn’t leave him breathless for long, her green eyes sparkling as she locked onto his gaze, her head canting slightly to the side as her lips crushed harder upon his one, her free hands lipping to cup the side of his neck just below his ear. And just when neither of them could stand it any longer, she exhaled, literally breathing for the man beneath her.

They were both panting when the little healer finally released Kovac, sitting up enough that she had to press both her palms to his chest for balance. A flush had crept up across her chest and onto her throat, giving her a delicate appearance, the tousled and messy curls that fell about her shoulders contradicting the first with a wildly sexy appeal. Without asking for permission, Addy curled her fingers around the hem of Kovac’s shirt, drawing it upwards so that she could run the flat of her palm against the smooth, muscled skin of his stomach.

A purr bubbled from her throat, low and sultry despite her best efforts to contain it. She had waited for this for so long, even a few chimes more seemed dreadfully painful. Still tugging the shirt upwards, Addy took the hunters hands and placed one on the hem of her bryda, the other on the hem of her vinati.

“I’m not going to do all the work.” She purred, leaning in to apply her lips and teeth to the sensitive skin beneath this ear.

[Kovac]

When Kovac had quipped his sardonic insistence to be fed, he had no idea what he was in for. Like a hunting cat Aidara was upon him, full wine-stained lips pressed against his. The momentum of the petite Endal took them both down, and the Avora found himself on the ground with the gorgeous woman astride him. The forcefulness of her advances stoked the flame that had remained smoldering since they left the Amphitheater. Kovac reeled with joy, seeing come to fruition all those things he had only witnessed in his imagination. The fact that is was Addy, after all this time, made the excitement ripple through his nerves.

“Food is second to what I have in mind, dear boy.”

The hunter offered a glare of mock offense at her comment, but as he prepared to retort with his own snarky comeback, the red head pressed her mouth to his, but instead of the ardent kiss Kovac expected, she sucked his reply, and his breath, into her lungs. His eyes widened in surprise, only catching a glimpse of her mischievous green eyes before she fulfilled his expectations and pressed her mouth hard against his again, and after a moment, breathed into his lungs. The sensation of sharing a breath was odd but wonderfully intimate, a new way of knowing Aidara.

When she finally released him, Kovac, his breath now labored with excitment, looked up at Addy. Never before had he seen her this....sensual. A flush of arousal tinted her creamy skin with a crimson hue, her dark hair hanging in a mess as it surrounded the beautiful face that looked down at him with unadulterated desire. His own wanton gaze belied the lust the little healer had inspired within him. Green gaze met green gaze, so many pent up feelings of affection and desire and longing reflected one to another. It was not the hot glare of strangers enveloped in a moment, but the open and honest adoration and anticipation of something they had both wanted for so damned long.

The Inartan slid her hands across the washboard of his stomach, the feel of her soft touch urging a low hum from his throat. When she leaned down to whisper her sultry taunt, and nip at his sensitive skin, Kovac knew if was finally their time. He didn't need more coaxing then an encouraging placement of his hands, and soon hunter and healer were slipping free of their garments with urgent tugging and sweeping movement, shirt and vinati and bryda coming off in fluid motion as if it were a dance they had rehearsed well.

Kovac sat up, Addy facing him, her legs still wrapped around his waist. Kovac encircled her with his strong arms, pressing his mouth to hers, parting the woman's lips with his tongue to brush it along the tip of hers. The half-breed held the inartan close without crushing her, the bare skin of their torsos heating one another, the proximity of their hips creating a heat of their own. "Oh gods Addy, you don't know how long I have waited for this." He breathed huskily into her mouth. One hand caressed her from her shoulders to the top of her buttocks and back,the fingers of the other entangling themselves in her mane, cradling her head.

[Aidara]

With a passion as fiery as her hair, Addy took to Kovac’s advances without hesitation, her lips pressing hard to his own as her fingers sought their own path along his exposed skin. The little woman’s touch was as bold as Kovacs was reserved and sensual, the remaining clothes between them removed with hardly any separation of their bodies; the sardonic hunter would get the impression that Addy would have literally torn their garments free should they have resisted their removal.

Bold, wet kisses were strung from the heat of his lips and down the strong line of his jaw, tracing the curve of his neck to his throat; a firm tangle of fingers yanked his hair, pulling his head back and exposing the underside of his throat where her lips found the rapid throbbing of his pulse, the soft tip of her tongue extending to tickly lightly against the skin there. His excitement was laid bare by his husky whisper, even if the panting hadn’t already given it away; the quickened beating of his pulse against her lips only confirmed what she already knew. His body couldn’t lie to her.

The heat of their bodies warmed the air that pocketed between the pair, sending a flush across Addy’s fair skin and up into her face, a reaction reserved mostly for varying levels of embarrassment, but the heated glimmer in her eyes spoke otherwise, molten green pools simply devouring the sight of Kovac in his undress, a smirk curling the corners of her lips as her fingers released their grip on his hair and worked their way down his chest and stomach once more.

All the normal introspective comments that Addy kept constantly flowing were locked down when she found his excitement between them, her hands grasping firmly and with a wicked smile, though she continued her silent explanation, offering Kovac nothing more than her hastened breath, coming out now as more of a pant than anything else. She made a point of avoiding accessing what he came packing, her gaze never flickering downwards, or very far from his face for that matter. There was a serious sort of need in her gaze that left not even a tick for passionate and romantic explorations of the others body; there would be time for that later. Using her hand to tease and further heighten his excitement, Addy watched carefully for the reactions that would tell her what he did like most; was it the way she twisted her hand or pumped vigorously with her whole arm?

Leaning back in to place a few kisses around his jaw and throat, Addy kept an intentional space between them as she teased and fondled, biting down hard on the skin of his neck when a giggle threatened to escape into the passion heavy air. Though she played a good game, Kovac wasn’t the only one that had waited for what seemed like ever for this moment; there weren’t many ticks remaining before Addy couldn’t hold out on her desires any more.

It was unfortunate that the blanket they had shared their meal on didn’t extend far beyond where they were sitting, for Addy gave no warning before she pulled away, both hands pressing against the Avora’s shoulders while rocking against him, effectively sending him crashing backwards onto the rough stone of the ledge. Shifting as Kovac laid out beneath her, Addy sought and found what she was looking for with a sliding shift of her hips, sliding down onto him even as her weight settled down over her hips, her hands finding and clenching his shoulders as she leaned over and hovered above him, her hair falling in a curtain around their heads. The little woman sat rigidly atop him, her mouth opened into a little “o” as she fought to contain the little moan that tried desperately to escape. A breathless whisper came instead. “Petch.”