Flashback Exposed on the cliffs of the heart. (Solo)

[Naeya]

Exposed on the cliffs of the heart. Timestamp: Season of Winter, 82nd Day, 505 AV "I think I love you." The sound of silence was deafening. "Let's go to bed." He had the grace to avoid her eyes, allowing her some small, private realization of the humiliation that flooded her heart. Pale fingers shook imperceptibly as she placed a hand over her chest - clutching, tugging, searching for the blossoming pain that threatened to tear her apart. "Come." Blankets rustled. He slid, naked and guiltless, between the rough cotton sheets. Expectation hung heavily in the air, permeating every corner and crack of the small bedroom. Still, she stood frozen on the cool marble floor, meditating on risk and regret. Regret: not for her love, but for his lack. "Come here." Her body betrayed her. She stepped towards the iron throne on which he lay, the edges of her reluctance tinged with indefatigable desire. Wasn't that always the way with him? A midnight blue arm snaked around her ass, pulling her closer. She was motionless now, even as deft hands undid buttons and warm lips pressed greedily against her unguarded legs. "I..." But what was there to say? He wielded his power over her as one wielded a lakan. Skillfully. Gracefully. The deadly blows were thrown out before she could blink in understanding. Yet, when he beckoned and offered an olive branch, her hope would consistently be reborn. "God, you're stunning." Desperation clutched at his words and painted them with intention. He wanted her. He wanted her. Didn't he? His boyish grin and desirous gaze momentarily wiped her memory and she allowed herself to sink into him, pushing thoughts of her wounded heart to the deepest recesses of her mind. "Hello." A treacherous half-smile played on her lips as green eyes met his once more.

[Naeya]

Timestamp: Season of Winter, 83rd Day, 505 AV The window's thin white curtains did nothing to shelter her from the morning's reality as cold rays of sunlight drifted lazily into the room and fell torturously on her closed eyelids, forcing her to stir. She blinked slowly, and stifled a yawn. Stiff arms stretched up and out in a delicious stretch, taking over the remainder of the vacant bed. Her eyes snapped open. Vacant bed? She searched the small room for its owner as she pushed herself clumsily onto her elbows, but he was nowhere to be found. Only yesterday's clothes, tossed carelessly over a worn armchair, and a faint curve in the mattress gave any indicator that she had not slept alone. That, and the bittersweet pain of her swollen lips. She pressed a hand gently against them and tried to keep herself from recalling the night's emotional turmoil. The door creaked. "Come back to bed. Please?" She did her best to keep her voice calm and even, though some relief for his return seeped through. A single eyebrow was raised in response. "Work," he stated brusquely in Tukant, shrugging on a shirt. She slumped back down into the bed and dragged the sheets up to her chin. The last twenty-four bells had not gone anything like what she'd imagined. "Can we talk?" "There's nothing to talk about." "I just wish you wouldn't-" "What? Leave?" She paused. "Yes." It wasn't what she'd wanted to say, but the interruption compelled her cowardice. His face softened, and he offered her a small smile. Long, unshakeable strides took him over to the side of the bed where he teasingly tugged the blankets off of her body, faced with only a weak resistance. The air rushed in and over her bare skin, and she shivered as goosebumps pricked at her arms. "Cold!" She gave him a petulant frown, and was rewarded with a grin in return. "That, I can help you with." He dropped down to settle in between her legs, the fabric of his shirt tight against her stomach. She felt his warmth immediately, and allowed herself to nestle into his chest. This. This was what she wanted. This was what she craved. The unwelcome emptiness of the cold air appeared again, however, as he pulled away from the embrace after a few chimes and flicked her nose. After brushing a stray hair from her face as though she were a child, he asked, "Better?" She half-smiled in spite of herself, and wrapped her legs tightly around his body in one last effort to keep him with her. "Don't go." Her words choked in her throat, smile fading and her eyes watching his intently. Please don't go.