Completed [The Amphitheater] Mingling In (Rinya)

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Jorin's mind was now a jumbled mess. It wasn't common for him to be in this position, and he really didn't know how to handle it. Just so many conflicting thoughts banging against one another, like an armada at sea being buffeted by a storm, each boat a thought, crashing against each other. He could still feel the simmering remains of his rage against the kid, combined with the unexpected surprise of Laran's apology and words. He hadn't even known he had friends among the actors.

When Laran turned to leave, Rinya mentioned that she could send Rhys after the kid. And as much as Jorin would've loved to see the large Akalak beat the ever-loving shyke out of the little petcher; heck, he'd pay money to see that, he couldn't stop the surge of jealousy that shot down his spine. She shouldn't have to summon Rhys to protect her. Jorin was supposed to protect her and he'd failed.

"I don't care about my good-boy image. I should have hit him," Jorin growled. "I should have stood up for you. You shouldn't have to call for Rhys. I'm your bondmate and your mate, I should have done something!"

Jorin could feel the anger and bile rise again as he thought about how brazen the kid had been, his unrepentant sneer as he glowered at Jorin for having stolen a kiss from his mate right from under his nose. Jorin remembered what Rinya had told him about her father's stories and this kid was the personification of every single one of them.

"You should blame me Rinya!" Jorin shouted, his own frustration over his apparent inability to protect Rinya boiling over. "I asked you to come here! I was the one who insisted on sneaking you in; you even told me it wasn't a good idea but I did it anyway! And I was the one who decided we should go to the afterparty... even though I knew you didn't even like those sorts of events! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

But Rinya's forehead pressed against him calmed him down somewhat. How could she be so calm? Why wasn't she flying off the handle at him? She had every right to! And he needed her angry. Because if she was angry then they could both be angry and then they could let that anger burn itself out and then they could rebuild from the ashes, not let it simmer and build until it erupted like a volcano.

"I just want to go back in there and pound that kid's face in," Jorin said, his voice like cold steel. He really did want to do it, and even though it scared him, he realized it didn't change the fact that he still wanted to do it. "Just keep hitting, and hitting, and hitting, until that stupid petching smirk was wiped out. Did you know, he was smirking up at me when he kissed you. Like as though you were some kind of prize he'd stolen from under me."

Jorin could feel himself actually shudder at the darkness of the thoughts he was having. They sounded even worse when he said them out loud. Foreign, unrecognizable, like they were the thoughts of someone else somehow inserted into his head, but there was no one else there. Never in his entire life had Jorin ever had thoughts like those. And he knew, deep down, exactly what triggered them. Jorin clenched and unclenched his fist, thowing his head back and taking several deep breaths. "I don't want to remember it, Rinya. I don't want to remember any of it..."

Jorin looked back at Rinya as he said it, and he felt suddenly very tired. Like as though he'd sprinted very hard for a long time and now he had reached the end only to discover he'd run the wrong way. And in the end, Jorin realized, none of it mattered. It was something his father had said. "Tell me what crying will do to change the past, and I will cry you a river." One of the few things from Rosik that Jorin had actually taken to heart. His father was right. There were only two things to do. He could follow his rage and march back in there to give that petching little kid the beating of a lifetime or...

Jorin didn't know what possessed him to do what he did. In retrospect it was an awful idea. It was disturbingly reminiscent of exactly what that petcher had done to Rinya, and here Jorin was doing it himself. And for all the wrong reasons too, he was doing this so that he could forget. And, worst of all, he wasn't even asking her permission.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, as Jorin grabbed Rinya by the waist and drew her close, he realized he wanted her to stop him. Stop him so he'd come to his senses and not do this, not force her like that kid just did.

Please stop me! Jorin was thinking as he drew closer, making to press his lips against hers and wipe away all memory of what had happened. His want and desire for her was growing with every tick and he knew as his lips drew closer to hers that he was no longer capable of stopping himself.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

The shot of jealousy across the bond caught Rinya off guard. She had only brought up Rhys was because her petching partner probably could get away with the violence. And come up with some kind of colorful story to go along with it that someone was bound to believe. He was quite the smooth talker when he wanted to be, she had seen it enough times with their boss. But the mention of Rhys had the completely opposite effect for what she was aiming for. It only further upset her mate and if Rinya didn’t know him as well as she did—she might have actually been a little afraid.

”Jorin I didn’t mean Rhys was going to protect me! He can just get away with it. You were just as shocked as I was.” The words didn’t seem to have much effect—in fact Rinya wasn’t entirely sure he heard them at all. The rage he felt before was back and Jorin actually shouted, causing her to wince slightly at the volume. ”Jorin stop! This wasn’t your fault, I wanted to see the play, and I didn’t object to the party either!” She was starting to feel completely confused over to just why he was so upset.

At the mention of Jorin going back to just to hit the kid—several times—caused her stomach to drop. His entire frame seemed so tense she was sure the slightest bit of pressure might cause him to crack. His hands clenched repeatedly and her fingers twitched at her sides. She wanted to grab him, but there wasn’t any way of knowing just how the action might cause him to react. Rinya knew he wouldn’t hit her—regardless of how much rage he was feeling he would never hit her. There wasn’t any doubt about that. But he could barely look at her and that bothered more than the ridiculous kiss the understudy had stolen.

But there was a shift in Jorin—one she didn’t recognize. The feel of him grabbing her waist, natural. The want and desire curling through him, familiar. But there was shame, anger, and a large amount of possessiveness trailing behind the usual. It didn’t take a crystal ball to get the gist of what Jorin planned to do. The idea seemed just fine in general logic, but Rinya knew it ran deeper than just the need to kiss her. Because if it was that simple need—the rest of the negative emotions would not be following. The intention behind this kiss was not going to be love—not even just the need to forget.

And Rinya was deeply torn. All the wrong reasons were coming out of the wood work because some stupid kid couldn’t keep his space. It was wrong to allow Jorin to kiss her like this. It went against everything she was taught and rather deeply believed in. She even physically harmed someone because they broke her own rules. And Jorin had never tried to kiss her without the only reason being love. Even with the admittance that they belonged to each other, this was different. A personal kind of claim just because he could.

Her muscles had gone completely tense, and she knew he was aware of that on some level even if he didn’t respond to it. Jorin was going to hate himself for this and Rinya was torn. Did she push away and refuse him—leave him broken a different sense of the word or…? The answer was so simple however that Rinya didn’t even have to actually think about it. Because if there was one thing she understood was that Jorin was not a perfect being. He was human. He made mistakes, this being one of them.

So in the last few ticks before his lips could even connect with hers, she brought hand up. Drawing a deep breath she brought the hand to his face—without force behind it. And the other came up only moments later to mirror his face. She cradled his face between her hands, trying to calm the sudden harsh beat of her heart. ”Jorin.” She tried to convey with one word—his name—that she understood, even as it came out barely as a breathe of air. Even if it went against everything she was brought up by, that it didn’t matter in the end.

Jorin accepted her for her faults and by the gods did she have quite the list of them. He never judged her. He took everything she threw at him—the good and the bad—and loved her regardless. At the early stages of their bond Rinya had admitted she would be anything for him. Even a pet. And that was still true now. Because out of everything she had done to him—he deserved to be understood now more than ever. If she couldn’t give that to him even at the risk of her own pride, then she truly did not deserve him. Pride could be mended—though she distinctly had the feeling it wouldn’t have to be.

Her body didn’t exactly relax as his lips connected with hers. Rather she reacted to him. Let herself drown in his emotions and let it spark her own. She kissed him hard, with her own intent. Jorin may have been taking from her but that didn’t mean she had to relent entirely. Unlike before, she could take just as easily. And this could easily become something unlike them. An unusual fight of wills of who was going to back down first. Most of the time Rinya won these sort of fights as Jorin never responded to negative emotions like she did. He didn’t get angry. But he was a mess of emotions and Rinya decided he needed to understand one thing. There was a difference between Jorin taking something from her compared to a stranger.

So she would fight and accept him at the same time. It was all the same in the end. She would follow him wherever he needed to go.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

At first the kiss was as stormy as Jorin's emotions, and for a tick or so, he couldn't feel the usual things he felt when his mate's lips touched his. Couldn't feel the heat, the desire, the love, the passion, just the same storm crashing waves against his battered psyche. But, slowly, the gale started to recede. It was like a summer storm that had run its course, the wind and water dying down until it was the merest whisper.

In the back of his mind, Jorin still thought of the kid, but that thought was banished by other parts of him. Parts that tried to show him just how silly it really was, to let one stupid kid ruin seasons of love and affection and intimacy. He didn't even know the kid's name. He was nothing compared to what he and Rinya had. The fact that he'd almost destroyed them over something that kid did, even if he had stolen something important from Rinya, was starting to look extremely foolish.

And Rinya had understood that. In that moment, when he realized that she'd understood, Jorin's love for her reignited stronger then ever, his right arm joining his left to press her against him as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, the kiss going from just an escape to a true act of affection. She knew. And it must not have been easy for her, he mused, because that meant she also knew he hadn't started the kiss with the right intentions. But she allowed it anyway. It was at that moment he realized just how lucky he was, to have found a woman like her.

The kid couldn't take this away from them. The fire, the passion, the love. He probably couldn't even understand it. And that made him rather... sad. Like Farline, he went from woman to woman but never forming any real connection. And he saw the boy's arrogance, his apparent need to show off, in a different light. It wasn't arrogance, no. It was desperation. And he could actually find it in him to feel a bit sorry for the kid.

Rinya was amazing. That was the only thing Jorin could think, as he continued their kiss, passion igniting in him as he brought his left hand higher to her back, pressing her against him while his right hand mapped out familiar territory. That she'd permit this... that she truly understood him. Perhaps the bond helped but in the end it was like she knew exactly what he needed. And all he could give her in return was his unconditional love. He hoped it was enough.

Jorin would've loved to keep the kiss going for longer, but breathing was important. And really, if they'd kept going any further, he would have wanted to couple with her right there on the grass, and that would lead to problems. Well, potentially could lead to problems; the play was over and few people were liable to interrupt, but their bed was a lot more comfortable. At least that was what he told himself as he pulled away reluctantly, the fire still burning inside, incinerating the anger and frustration and all the other things he didn't want to be feeling. Jorin took a few gasping breaths, before smiling at Rinya.

"You know, way back when we were in the medical center and I told you I was in love with you, do you remember what I said? That even if you weren't perfect, you were perfect for me?" Jorin sighed, and pressed his forehead against Rinya's. "Sometimes I wonder why you'd put up with a guy like me. Any other girl probably would've stormed off. I really am the luckiest man in the world."

Jorin chuckled, actual humor coming back into his voice. "That was exactly what I needed, Rinya. I don't know how you do it but you always give me exactly what I need... I don't know how I could live without you." Backing off slightly, Jorin took his left hand from behind Rinya and stroked her cheek gently, taking a moment to enjoy the silky smoothness of her skin. No, the kid wouldn't have even bothered to notice these little things about her, would he? He was just interested in one thing.

"I love you, Rinya," Jorin whispered, leaning in again. "Thank you for reminding me of this fact. I shouldn't need a reminder, I know, but then you've always put up with my faults." With a wry smile, Jorin pressed his lips against Rinya's again. And this time, for all the right reasons.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Rinya wasn’t sure if she should begin to worry or not. There was no telling how long the kiss had been going—several ticks or several chimes?—and she hadn’t felt the usual thrill from their kiss. Well that wasn’t entirely true. Even if Jorin wasn’t kissing for the sake of love it still sent heat across her skin and the ache to settle low in her stomach. She would always feel that way about him, she loved him. But she was used to feeling it from him. The longer the kiss extended she wondered if she had made the wrong choice. Perhaps misread everything and she should have shoved him away before the damage could be done.

But if there was damage to be done she was also sure it was already too late to stop it. She had lowered all her barriers in order to let him take what he needed and if this failed she wasn’t sure what she’d have left. Would she be a shell of the person she was, or would it just ruin them? She was so busy thinking of all the things that could go wrong just by her choice to allow him this that she didn’t even initially feel the shift she was looking for. That the violent darker thoughts that scared him were receding and that he could be himself again.

And almost as though something clicked into place before she could pull away—if he would have allowed her in his dark mindset—it wasn’t several different forms of misery crossing the bond. She didn’t know what caused the sudden change but the amount of relief it brought almost made her want to cry. He just pulled her closer and kissed her like he meant it instead of disappearing from her. There was the pleasant jolt across her entire body as he deepened the kiss with his tongue. The traces of darker emotions were fading and Rinya let herself revel in the feelings that she was familiar with. For some reason it almost felt as if it had been years and not chimes since she last felt it.

But now that he was feeling more himself Rinya realized that without the negative emotions it just left her raw. And not completely in a bad way either. Opening herself to Jorin wasn’t anything new, but this had been different. Accepting that even Jorin could have his dark side—not that it was terribly dark compared to hers—meant she had no way of pulling herself from him either. She had devoted herself to the path and now she was caught in it. Jorin himself seemed to have trouble pulling away from her, but he finally managed to gather himself up enough to separate them. And then she swore there was a long tense moment—for her—as they tried to catch their breaths. He smiled at her and Rinya bit her bottom lip to keep from whimpering.

Rinya doubted that Jorin would ever understand why she loved him. Much the same way she could never understand how he loved her. In all other circumstances they shouldn’t have fit together. They were very different people, something that should clash rather than merge together flawlessly—well almost anyways. ”I don’t ‘put up’ with anyone. I would follow you anywhere Jorin. Regardless of the cost.” It was a scary truth for her, the possibility of giving up herself but… ”I just…you’re different. To give you what you need is—I can’t lose you.” Her voice became watery, she had been terrified that she might actually lose part of him. And it was only now that she truly felt the terror.

Closing her eyes, Rinya released one of her hands from his face to hold his hand against her face. The rawness of possibilities left her sensitive to his touch. Normally it would have begun to recede until later but it was strong as ever—perhaps because of the amount of emotion she was feeling without anything of herself to filter it? Jorin whispered that he loved her and she whimpered softly. She was going to have to remove herself completely from him and hope she could gain control. ”I love you. More than anything.” The words were not new to either of them, but it was the only thing her awkward mind could think of.

Jorin didn’t seem to notice just how sensitive she was to him at the moment, or he chose to ignore it. Because he leaned in to kiss her again before she could separate herself from his person. Her emotions hummed in tune with his and she couldn’t help it. Her hands gripped his shirt tightly as she gasped against his mouth. If her face wasn’t so red from their kissing she would have flushed hard. ”I-I’m s-sorry…” Rinya wasn’t sure if she was apologizing for her reactions to him, or his anger—or even just for the whole night in general. But her stutter was most certainly difficult to control as the words came out pressed against his mouth.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

"You won't lose me, Rinya. Every time I get lost, all I have to do is call your name, and you always lead me home."

Jorin said it like it was an undeniable fact, which it was. Every single time he ever got lost, Rinya was there to lead him back. She always knew what to do, how to get through the fog of his mind to reach him. The bond certainly helped, of course, but Jorin suspected even without it, she'd still know. And once again, they exchanged assertions of their love, and Jorin could help feeling the warmth spread through his chest. He didn't realize how much he'd missed this feeling until the dark thoughts threatened to rip it away from them.

It really wasn't even anything new for them. They said those words to one another almost on a daily basis, but it never failed to trigger a reaction from both of them. Because it was always true, and each time Rinya told him she loved him, he could feel it across the bond, pure and untainted. And he was just as eager to send his own unconditional love back to her. Jorin was acutely aware of just how rare a love like theirs was. Every story he'd ever read, every play he'd ever acted in, universally agreed on one thing: true love was the most precious treasure anyone could have. And in this moment Jorin wholeheartedly agreed.

The second kiss sent tender emotions humming across Jorin's mind, finally banishing the last traces of the darkness, like a burst of Syna's light in a darkened room, burning away the shadows. Everything was bright again, like it should have been. Rinya stammered out an apology and Jorin just kept kissing her, murmuring against her mouth, "I'm sorry too..." but not releasing her.

Pulling away just slightly so he could look into her eyes, Jorin felt the familiar traces of desire curl up his spine. Now that the negative emotions were gone, it allowed his more natural emotions to bubble back up to the surface. And for him, having Rinya in his arms always triggered desire. He suspected he would never be able to truly get enough of her. He did feel her emotional sensitivity, and the logical, rational portion of his head was telling him that he needed to give her space. But holding her just felt so right. They belonged like this.

"Rinya, you never, ever have to apologize to me," Jorin insisted. He'd made that assertion to his mate many times, and he knew he'd make it many more in the future. But he wasn't upset with Rinya, he just wanted her to know. He wanted her to know that he'd never, ever blame her for anything, so she never had anything to apologize for. But still, he understood. So rather than push the issue, he decided to follow his heart yet again.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that if he kept this up, they wouldn't make it back home. But he felt overwhelmed by his want, his desire, and his love for the woman in his arms. It was like a physical draw, and he didn't want to lose sight of it, or her, even for a tick. So instead of pulling away, like the rational portion of his mind was telling he really ought to do, Jorin kissed his mate yet again, pouring want and desire and passion into the act.

Fire burned across his skin wherever it touched Rinya's, his face where her hand was, her back where he'd sent both his hands again, and of course where their lips met. It was like their first lovemaking all over again, pure emotion. Regardless of whether anything more came of this kiss, he was intensely happy at that moment. This was how it was meant to be.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

It would have been easy for Rinya to argue with Jorin. Partly because she just viewed the world differently, and partly to gain some kind of footing against her loss of control. Jorin being the eternal optimist would always find it easy to tell her words like always or forever. At least their version of forever anyways. But this was the Jorin she knew and much rather preferred. Confident in something far more gentle than the violence he wanted to commit. Rinya decided it was probably much better to leave the violence to her anyways. She took the violent thoughts much easier than he did, even if she didn’t like them much herself.

He apologized and Rinya grumbled as he pulled away from the kiss. It was vague in the back of her mind they should really stop. Mostly because it wasn’t proper at all to be acting like they were. Then again the beach hadn’t exactly been the wisest choice either. In fact if nothing else the beach example should have made it easier for her to pull away from him. It would be her luck that somehow Farline would end up at this very party with the intent on ruining their night as well. After all the night was still young.

”Stop saying sorry like you have a reason to be.” Rinya groused half heartedly as she forced her fingers to open and release his shirt. However she wasn’t entirely sure if she had the physical strength to remove herself from his arms. She was fairly certain he was actually holding her up as she knees were feeling a little weak. And Jorin didn’t seem to want to put any space between them either and that only made the emotions worse—stronger. She did her best to shoot him an empty glare as he once again repeated that she didn’t need to apologize to him.

”I wish you wouldn’t say that.” It made her feel like there was nothing she could do wrong and that was the farthest thing from the truth. There were an infinite amount of things she could do to cause Jorin pain, and to at least not tell him it wasn’t her aim to cause him pain felt selfish. It could easily grow into taking Jorin for granted and that thought was hard to swallow. She would become like everyone else. And without the proper mindset to hold herself together…

She didn’t have long to think about it actually. Jorin made the decision to kiss her again and she couldn’t hold back any longer. She had been willing when he was trapped in his mind behind dark emotions, and she was most certainly willing now. His feelings were clear and she could feel him again. A rather needy moan managed to escape her throat, but she didn’t have it in her to be embarrassed. Regardless of the time of night, or where they currently were there was only one thing Rinya wanted now and unless Jorin stopped her, she wasn’t capable of doing it herself. She simply did not have it in her to care so long as Jorin responded.

One of her hands returned to the back of his neck to hold him to her as she returned the kiss—only this time she was the one to take charge. She slipped her tongue into his mouth with a groan, enjoying the thrill of pleasure and desire that sparked across her skin and made her insides burn. Rinya could not have denied the ache spreading through the pit of her stomach if she wanted too. It was so familiar, but so much more intense than usual. The fingers of her free hand moved between them, pressing against his chest and sliding down slowly to his stomach.

Gripping his shirt, Rinya tugged at it until she was able to slide her hand beneath the fabric and she could press her fingers to the skin of his abdomen, humming softly in appreciation at the feel of his skin beneath her fingertips. The warmth of his skin made her shiver slightly and she couldn’t help but stroke her fingers across the skin of his stomach. It was almost hypnotic in some ways, but it made her burn all the worse. She wanted him, but there was no way to actually form the words without detaching herself from him. And that wasn’t an option at the moment.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

Rinya's moan had an instant effect on Jorin, who must have had in his head some inkling of what a kiss like this would result in. It wasn't like this was the first time he and Rinya had such passionate contact and the feelings that bubbled up in his heart were warm and very familiar. The rational portion of his mind was pleading for him to do the logical thing and separate now, before this got too far, but the truth was he felt like he'd just returned from a long journey away from Rinya, and was seeing her again for the first time in a long time. The desire, the need, just seemed stronger somehow and was blotting out all rational thought, leaving just the feelings.

In some sense, the dark thoughts that had permeated Jorin's brain had consumed so much of him that when they disappeared, desire for Rinya had flooded into the ensuing vacuum, leaving little room for anything else. And Jorin found he had little desire to resist any of it; their location and the time of day rapidly fading among his list of priorities. There were only two things that mattered. What he wanted, and what Rinya wanted, and if what he was feeling across the bond was accurate, they both wanted exactly the same thing.

When Rinya brought a hand to the back of his neck and slipped her tongue into his mouth he could feel a jolt of pleasant surprise. Thus far he had been the only one to have been bold enough to try that, and although he knew that it was pleasurable for Rinya he hadn't realized she might do it to him as well. It sent heat washing over his entire body and he groaned against her mouth, the kiss turning even more fiery and intense as he flooded the bond with new-found desire. He could feel an itch in his hands, wanting to touch Rinya and he temporarily sated them by stroking her back before sending his hands lower down.

Rinya had gripped his shirt, but Jorin was too lost in the flood of emotions to notice until he realized she was touching his bare skin, running her hand across his abdomen and he could feel hot desire coming off of her in waves. The briefest consideration was offered to the propriety of what he was about to do. After all, they were technically in a public space, although since this was off the main path people were already unlikely to come across them, and it being so late they were even less likely to.

But these thoughts were shoved aside when Jorin felt a fresh wave of need from his mate. He wanted her, she wanted him, there really wasn't any room left for logic or rational thought. Jorin pulled apart from Rinya reluctantly, as he really would love to have the kiss go on forever, but he had a purpose for doing so.

Gasping slightly from the raw emotions vibrating through him, Jorin seized the hem of his shirt and peeled it off, then reaching down to his pants to remove them as well, the article of lower clothing joining his shirt somewhere on the grass, and was quickly followed by his small clothes. Jorin hated any separation from his mate so as soon as he was done he returned to Rinya's lips, while his hands went for the hem of Rinya's ruffled red shirt, looking to take it off as well.

It was utterly improper. It was probably a bad idea. But at that moment, it felt like exactly the right thing to do. Jorin's attack on Rinya's lips was brief but passionate, then he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. Well, as close as he could in the darkness. He moaned her name, his voice thick with desire. He tugged rather impatiently on her shirt, looking to remove one of the last articles of clothing that separated them. And even though his scrambled mind couldn't find any other words besides her name he somehow was certain she knew exactly what he was trying to say.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Jorin was the one she relied on to be the conscious, well mannered of the two of them. Despite the fact she wanted him so badly she had seriously thought that of the two of them he would have the control—now that he wasn’t bogged down by rage and jealousy—to pull away from her and let her know enough was enough, that maybe right now wasn’t the best time. They needed to settle down and regain themselves and make it home. It wasn’t as if this wasn’t likely to continue later after all.

But apparently she had misjudged her mate. Or underestimated him. She honestly hadn’t considered that he may be just as deep into their feelings as she was. Or that she had made it worse just by reacting and letting instinct take over. His hands moved across her back—safe territory for the moment—and while she was nearly overwhelmed by his emotions alone, she thought there might be a moment where he could still salvage some kind of self control. She really did dread the idea though, because in her head things were moving along rather nicely for both of them. His surprise was almost as pleasant as his desire—she rather liked it when she caught him off guard.

But Jorin proved her wrong—he was more caught up than she was. His groan itself was something she expected; after all it was a small part of a bigger reason as to why she was kissing him. For a brief moment she wondered if he even noticed that she was touching his bare skin however. There was no way she could ever not notice when his skin was touching hers. Even when it was wholly innocent, the natural warmth she felt flooding her body was impossible not to notice. She had felt it all the way back to their second meeting when he held her hand for the first time.

And then he was pulling away from her. No… no! The words simply repeated in her head. There was no point in stopping now, not when she ached so fully and his desire filled her being, swirling with hers. Rinya panted for breath, but she didn’t follow him. There was a moment where deep down she felt a little rejected. Irrational she knew considering she could feel his want for her, but she couldn’t help it. Other than being interrupted by something, Jorin never actually turned her down. She had to bite her tongue in order to maintain some semblance of control—it wasn’t working.

As quickly as the rejection hit however it burned away at the simple sight of Jorin pulling his shirt off. In the light she couldn’t make out much of anything, but the flash of movement told her everything she needed to know. But her legs really were having a difficult time holding her up. She stumbled backwards slightly and for a moment she really didn’t want to end up on her backside because Jorin had not only removed use of her self control, but the use of her legs. It was with a little luck as she slid backwards her back managed to land rather solidly against a tree. Not quite painful but it was almost successful in dragging Rinya out of her desire induced haze to reality.

Jorin however returned to her, kissing her almost as though it had been painful to be separated for even a few moments. Bringing up her hands to steady herself against him, her fingers latched onto his hips. His bare hips and Rinya couldn’t help but whimper against his lips. For once she was very far behind in the clothing department. She was so caught up in the flare of passion hazing her mind back over that she missed his first initial tug of her own shirt. He pulled away again and Rinya nearly growled at him. He needed to stop moving so much. It wasn’t fair at all. She could barely see him in the first place, how was she supposed to chase after him?

He moaned her name and her stomach clenched almost painfully with need. And then it caught up with her that he was tugging on her shirt. ”I’m burning these clothes when we get home.” Rinya muttered in annoyance, even though this time she couldn’t actually blame the clothing for being in the way. She immediately reached down to pull the shirt over her head, which was difficult as she was still leaning against the tree for support, but she managed well enough. The rest of her clothing awkwardly followed as well, but ultimately Rinya was pleased with the results.

Panting quietly in the dark, Rinya reached out with both hands until her fingers found his skin again. Like before she hummed her approval before she dragged her fingers up to his chest, her right hand resting over his heart while she tilted her head to look up at him as best she could in the dark. The need was still there, strong as ever, the desire to kiss him until they couldn’t breathe, but she couldn’t see well enough. Everything was based on touch. The tree pressed into her skin behind her or his muscles beneath her palm pounding with his heartbeat. She just hoped the several ticks apart weren’t enough for him to change his mind.

[Jorin Ertihan]

Season of Fall, Day 63, 513 AV

In the end it all came down to one thing. What felt right. Only a season ago (although if felt like eons), Rinya had said to them that some people might call the two of them silly, young lovebirds who'd only met recently acting like they'd been in love for years. But she also said that the both of them tended to follow their hearts and what felt right, and that they let such feelings lead them to wherever they may. And right now, Jorin's heart was telling him that he needed Rinya and there wasn't anything that was going to stop him.

Rinya had slid against a tree for support when Jorin had returned to her, and she made a half-hearted growl about burning her clothes when she got home. Jorin's brain was too scrambled to really say anything at that moment, even though he really liked those clothes, so he just let her pull off the rest of her clothes before seizing her by the waist and drawing her up to him. She was looking up at him and he knew her eyesight was poor in the darkness, but this position, leaning up against the rough bark of the tree, was not the most pleasant for lovemaking.

Deciding to lead them to a more... suitable area, but utterly unwilling to widen the distance between them even a little, Jorin scooped his hands to just underneath Rinya's buttocks and lifted her up a bit, hoping she would get the hint and wrap her legs around him like she did the first time they'd made love. At the same time, he attacked her lips greedily, tongue slipping in as he fanned the flames of desire roaring inside.

Even as he did this, Jorin awkwardly maneuvered them over to a small grassy area a few feet to their left. Somewhere in his mind Jorin realized their clothes were now haphazardly scattered all over the trail and they'd have to go picking through the dark to find them again, but in his desire-induced haze he really didn't care.

Even Jorin's eyes were not the best in the dark, but he could still see the general outline of his mate and she looked glorious. But it was an exciting new experience, making love in the darkness. Even though sight had become dimmed by the darkness, touch, sound, taste, and smell were still fully available, and for some reason that just enhance things for Jorin.

He couldn't see his mate, at least not well, but he could hear her gentle moans. He could feel the softness of her skin, could taste the silkiness whenever he licked her, and every time he breathed in he could smell her sweet scent. Jorin decided to see if he truly knew his mate's body, now that his vision was limited by the dark.

Jorin bent down and gently set Rinya down on the soft grass. Sadly, the act forced him to break off the kiss, but Jorin returned to her lips a moment later with renewed vigor. One of his hands went to her breast, stroking softly as he ran the other along Rinya's side. He loved the feeling of her skin beneath his fingertips, and after he finished kissing her he grinned mischievously down at her, even if she may not have been able to see it.

Jorin brough the hand that was running along Rinya's side up, trailing up her side, past her shoulder, and up to her face, stroking her cheek tenderly while using it as a guide to know where her face was. Leaning in, Jorin nuzzled her neck, taking a few breaths to breathe in the smell that he only associated with her before whispering, "Rinya, I love you," in her ear. It was a simple statement, one they'd said a hundred times to one another, but it was all his mind could produce at that moment. And why not? It was completely true, in every sense of the words.

But even despite the tender love he felt for Rinya, the burning desire was still there, so he next assaulted her neck with small kisses, nipping on occasion and sending out his tongue to explore her skin in the dark, as the hand that had been stroking her cheek went back down to her side, sliding down to her hip. It was still far too early for that, though, so he just kept it there to steady him as he continued to explore his mate's body with his tongue. The passion hadn't died down for even a moment, and Jorin hoped it never would.

[Rinya]

Day 63, Season Fall, 513 AV

Jorin didn’t hesitate with whatever plan he seemed to have in mind. Rinya herself felt as though she was just enjoying the ride. Which didn’t bother her in the least. He reached down to lift her into his arms and it was more instinct than getting his hint to wrap her legs around him. It was always a rush anyways by finding reasons to press herself closer to him and this was the perfect excuse. Her hands wrapped around his neck once again and held him to her as he kissed her like it might actually be the last time.

In some ways things were progressing much faster than she anticipated. Rather she hadn’t anticipated this here, but the idea was all just the same. Jorin was rather relentless with his kisses—she didn’t even have time to protest when he separated from her to lay her across the grass before he was on her again. But it bothered her slightly that she couldn’t see. She enjoyed being able to watch him each time they coupled, but it was also familiar. This experience was different—a charged kind of exciting that made her squirm beneath him.

The feel of his hands against her skin didn’t help that much either. She arched her upper back to her best ability to press the breast he was teasing more fully into his hand. The other was just moving too much to even keep track of other than the trailing fire burning across her skin that followed. In the back of her mind she knew they should keep quiet. This wasn’t their home and the last thing she needed was someone to interrupt them. But it was growing more difficult to keep the moans in the back of her throat.

Jorin broke the kiss, apparently opting to pull at one of her weaknesses. The touch of his fingers against her cheek were gentle and calming. His whisper however caused her to hiss sharply. Even with the words she knew by heart, it sent a violent shiver down her spine and she reached up to grasp his shoulders almost as though to steady herself despite no longer standing. He wasn’t finished however and went straight into attacking the skin of her neck. His second hand finally settled on her hip and it took her a moment to realize Jorin wasn’t trying to push anything too fast for her sake.

Only it was a slight bit of embarrassment on her part that she knew she was entirely ready for him. Had been since she allowed him to kiss her with a fury filled mind. Because in the end it wouldn’t have mattered how she laid with him—the ending result would have been the same. He would have come back to himself at one point or another and realize that she loved all of him and not just the gentle unwavering side of him she most commonly dealt with. But it had been so easy to let him take from her she hadn’t even noticed until now. And she couldn’t find it in herself to voice it either.

So instead of letting frustration consume her, she brought her hands to his chest and pressed him back until he sat on his knees. Sitting up herself, she let one hand find his neck—much like he had—so she could bring her lips to the skin. The other hand trailed from his shoulder in circles until she reached his stomach. While this wasn’t entirely new for them, they were still learning about the other. Each time they pushed boundaries a little further and tried to see just how far was too far. So her next move was actually entirely shy and unconfident.

While she planted light kisses along his neck up towards his ear, her fingers trailed lower past his stomach. Jorin knew her weak spots better than she knew is. But she wasn’t stupid, she had easily figured out just how sensitive physically was. She just never had the nerve before. So in order to distract herself from backing away, she brought her lips up to his ear. ”Jorin.” She wanted to make sure she had his complete attention before she went any further—as if she didn’t have it already.

His name was followed with a quick nip to his ear and she let her fingers close around him gently. In the back of her mind she mentally filed away the difference between feeling this part of him from the rest. But even as she pressed the boundary line, she nuzzled his neck where she had nipped him. ”I’m yours…” She murmured against his neck and she knew that it was a calculated risk using those words right now. He could either react and deny it in an attempt to ignore what had happened earlier, or he could accept the truth for what it was. But she couldn't help shift her hand over him as she said the words. Enjoy the feeling while she could and hope he didn't take the words the wrong way.