|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 10:55 pm
"Well, thank heavens for small favors," Hienna answered with a smile, "That you're not a literalist, I mean."
Being that close to the stallion definitely felt natural to her. Though, at the same time, she was chastising herself for the open affection that they seemed to have. After all, it had only been two days since they had met and it seemed, to her, a little odd.
Still, Hienna was enjoying the warmth and wouldn't complain. The mare's eyes closed and she sighed, "You're just a living blanket, aren't you."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:05 pm
"I could be, you know. I've got one in my herd, and I'm told that such behavior is very contagious."
Zaphiro was smiling, delighted that the previous seriousness of the situation had reverted to the more amenable banter and sociability of before. Not that that made the situation any less troublesome, but it certainly made it easier to talk. Being wracked with guilt was never very condusive to conversation, not in his experience anyway. This was much better.
Much better indeed. He hadn't really realized he'd moved to rest his cheek against hers, but it was nice; comfortable, as if it belonged there. Same with the way she was standing, nestled against his side as though she'd always been there. And even if she was cold herself, against his side she was warm.
Her comment made him chuckle, thinking along parallel lines as they were. "I was just thinking how warm you yourself are, Hienna, but I suppose given the circumstances your description is more accurate. A benefit of having wings, I guess."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:10 pm
"Well, please, try to not catch said behavior. While it may be interesting after a while I suppose it would be a bit tiresome. With me, perhaps it would not be a problem since I try to pick my words carefully...But when one is not careful with their words they could wind up in a very bad situation indeed."
Hienna laughed softly and gave a small nuzzle against him before she realized what she was doing and once she did she blushed furiously. Thanking heaven that she was too dark to see the blush properly, she coughed softly. Reluctant to leave the warmth but feeling vaguely like she was betraying her mother in some way, she stepped away and looked shyly at the ground.
"Your wings are certainly useful, Zaphiro. Thank you for warming me up." She shivered again. Away from him was so damn cold with the water soaking her like it was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:18 pm
Chuckling as well, Zaphiro gave Hienna a nod in acquiesence to what she was saying, lightly returning the nuzzle as well. "I try to not get in that habit, barring being aware of tims when literalism could be used. A defense mechanism, I suppose."
It was a bit unexpected when she moved away, though, and the action took him almost completely by surprise; for a second he just stared at Hienna, sorting out her thank you before he realized exactly what was going on. "Oh, my pleasure. I just hope it helped...but are you sure you're ok?" This in regards to the shiver, which he noticed even as he was speaking. "It really wouldn't hurt to just wait until you're a bit drier, or the sun is actually up?"
He wasn't really sure why, but there was something annoying about this new situation. It had just been so nice to stand like that, and now she wasn't there, and it was cold again...why did he notice the cold so much all of a sudden? He always went swimming, even if there was snow about, but never before had he been so acutely aware of the cold as he was at this moment. "Just a little bit longer?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:22 pm
"Well, all right, so long as it's not with me. I may have to n** you if you do." She laughed softly and then paused when he asked her to come back to his side. The offer was so tempting, really. She WAS very cold.
Telling herself she was just being silly about betraying her mother when they weren't do anything but keeping each other warm, Hienna took a few steps and ducked under his wing gently.
"Well, all right...I guess I am still a bit cold."
A bit being an understatement. The warmth of the stallion flooded back to her and she sighed. It was comforting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2007 11:33 pm
Again with the threats. "I'll make a note of it; I don't doubt that your teeth are sharp, and I've never liked being nipped."
A funny mental image to be sure, the graceful Hienna sinking a mouthful of fangs into his shoulder. Both wince-inducing AND laughable, and he was quick to indulge in the latter.
At the same time, he was quick to raise his wing as Hienna made to move back to his side. Wrapping the feathered limb gently about her, he closed his eyes and smiled as the comforting warmth returned, that pleasant feeling of warm, soothing rightness.
Actually, that was rather strange, come to think of it. Tilting his head thoughtfully, Zaphiro was suddenly aware of a lot of things that he hadn't been mere moments before, such as the fact that he didn't tend to be affective, tended to shy away from physical contanct with mares, especially tended to avoid any sort of behavior that might be construed in any sense as intimate...
And yet here he was, not only allowing such contact but inviting it, enjoying it, even. Hienna's place at his side seemed so natural, so appropriate; just like the nuzzles, just like the gentle touch of his cheek to hers, a touch that he had once again instigated without really realizing...
It didn't make sense. He'd been in situations like this before, or rather in situations that COULD have been like this one, yet he'd always managed to keep himself distant, aloof. Never been at ease, never been comfortable, never felt...
...Attraction. Wait, attraction?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:07 am
The fact that she was feeling an uncomfortable nagging at the back of her head was the first thing to tip Hienna off that something was definitely different. To most, it would likely be a good different but the rightness that she felt being at Zaphiro's side in such away went against every last thing she told herself she believed.
Somewhere, hidden away, was the romantic she would have been if her mother hadn't pounded it into her that females didn't need males and that it was better to be independent. Somewhere it was niggling at her to let it out and ignore the words that she had been living with all her life.
Independence was a good thing, she assured herself. One did not need someone there at every turn.
But she was definitely attracted to the stallion and that made her feel just a little bit...wrong? The ease of the morning and the previous night floated through her mind.
Maybe her mother was wrong. Maybe...
She shook her head to clear herself of the thoughts. It was nothing more than sharing heat after being soaked. That was all it was. Hienna stuffed away the romantic in her immediately and hoped she'd never deal with that conflict again.
"Well, good, we're agreed then are we not?" A smile.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:15 am
"Yes, agreed." It was an agreement, but an absent agreement; plausibly, Hienna could have just said she should commit suicide, that he should dye his hair pink, or that it was raining dead turkeys and he would have said the same thing. Because once he'd latched onto that particular realization, he hadn't been able to stop the realizations from compounding like a snowball.
It made sense; it all made sense. He was attracted to Hienna, there could be no other explanation. Why else would he be so willing, even unconsciously, to let her into his space? Why else did it feel so appropriate for her to snuggle against his side, and why else would he have to fight the urge to nuzzle her?
Though that last one could be a result of this new train of thought; he couldn't say. But all of a sudden, his heart was racing faster than it ever had, and he was amazed to realize why.
He liked Hienna, there was no mistaking that. They had had a great conversation, an instant cameraderie that was of equals; he felt at ease around her, felt no qualms about teasing her, smiling with her, laughing with her; he wanted to protect her, to be near her...to be near her, as he was now.
They'd only known each other since yesterday, but somehow Zaphiro felt as though he'd known her forever. This wasn't the sort of thing that could be faked; physical attraction could be fleeting, but this was deeper; this feeling that he didn't want to sum up, even in his own mind. Truly, it had only been one day...
Yet it took only one look for one to fall in love.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:21 am
Zaphiro would have some hard time convincing Hienna otherwise and getting past her issues with her mother, honestly. However, he didn't really seem to be one to give up easily so that was just fine.
As it was, if Hienna had known what was going through his mind she would have backed away slowly and turned and fled without looking back. She would have regretted it, later, but her instinct to run when so much as the mention or thought of the 'l' word was strong.
...Why had he gotten so quiet?
"Zaphiro, are you all right?" Her soft voice broke the long stretch of silence. Had she done or said something wrong? Once more, Hienna slid away from him and tilted her head.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:31 am
The loss of the warmth from his side attracted more notice than the words had a moment ago, and with an odd feeling of deja vu Zaphiro once again found himself blinking at Hienna, feeling one step behind. But at least this time, he knew WHY he was a step behind.
For a moment, he was silent as her question fought its way through his thoughts to his brain, but as soon as he made sense of what she'd asked, he was nodding his head. "Yes, of course. I was just thinking about something, but that's all. And look at that!"
Tilting his head skywards, Zaphiro pointed upwards with a wing at the beautifully multicolored morning sky. It was an amazing sight, to be sure, and hopefully enough of a distraction to allow him to sort his thoughts out.
One thing was certain; he wasn't going to say anything to Hienna. Not yet, anyway. Just because HE had had a revelation didn't mean she had; for all he knew, she might be completely indifferent to him. And they HAD only been acquainted for a short bit of time.
He was her companion for now, at any rate. That fact alone was enough to fill him with both hope and confidence; he'd just let things unfold as they would, cross his proverbial fingers, and hope for the best. They had such an amazing connection already, but hopefully with time it would strengthen. If that was the case, then he'd know for sure...and that would be time enough.
For now, he was content with just the hope. Never before had he been so sure of himself, and he knew his heart, at least, was loyal to him.
That knowledge in mind, he was able to handle the suddeness of the situation with amazing dexterity. Still looking skywards, he smiled softly; a secret sort of smile of hope. "It's truly magnificent, isn't it? That's the beauty of the dawn; it's never the same, but always amazing."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 12:42 am
Hienna was grateful for the deviation from certain thoughts and looked upward toward the morning sky. It was indeed breath taking and she couldn't help but let a smile be seen.
The colors played against each other in a beautiful array and spread themselves throughout the sky, casting the water with a sort of ethereal glow. And the light that hit reflected off her as well, lighting up the gold that accented her body, hair and horn.
Morning was definitely her favorite time. A new birth.
"It is absolutely amazing," she agreed, "A blessing to be able to watch it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:29 am
Though he didn't really realize it, Zaphiro too was lit up by the morning sun; the gold on his wings and ankles glittered, but that was pale in comparision to the dazzling sparkle of his body as the sun danced off of the blue. But it was common enough; this happened every dawn, every dusk; made it damned hard to blend in, but he'd come to accept it as a matter of course. Came with the coat, really.
Glancing from the sky to Hienna as she spoke, he noticed the way that the golden and green accents of her body shone as well, making her appear as though she were wearing the markings as jewelry rather than it being a simple design. Her horn was all the more dramatic, gleaming like a golden sword in the sunshine. Amazing.
Smiling, he nodded his head, then turned away. No sense in getting too maudlin, not when he had other things to focus on at the moment. "Indeed. It makes one wonder how anyone could possibly sleep late, when there's such an amazing sight awaiting them if they'd only open their eyes."
Too many Soquilis slept late, these days. Not that it really mattered to him, but it was unsettling to stumble across some stranger asleep in the middle of the day!
Shaking his head at the imagery, he glanced back across the springs thoughtfully, comtemplating the plan for the day. Which reminded him... "Hienna, how is your wound doing?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 1:32 pm
"Something else we agree on," Hienna answered, tearing her gaze away from the sunrise and moving it to him. He certainly did look magnificent in the morning light, that was for sure.
Hienna pushed the thoughts away again and laughed softly at his question, "I guess the cold numbed it, I don't feel it anymore. Besides, it was just a minor wound as I said. If it had been worse I would have been very upset at you, indeed."
The mare didn't do very well with pain, hence her carrying on by just being stabbed with a stick. Then again, it had drawn blood and there was that to consider. Either way, she was past it for now.
"Do you have plans for today, Zaphiro?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:54 pm
Again with the hostility! He never would have pegged Hienna to be one that made threats, even in humor, when he first met her; yet here she was, cheerfully assuring him that she would have been quite unhappy if she was actually hurt. Maybe that wasn't a threat in it's own right, but since Zaphiro hated to be around anyone that was upset...it counted as a threat, alright.
Still, he was glad to know that it was doing better, especially since it couldn't be reached by her horn. "Well, that's good. It would have been horrible for you to have been incapacitated by something as lowly as a stick, and I would have deserved to get stabbed myself for causing it. But since I've never fancied being gored, this works out best for everyone involved. And no, actually..."
At the last question, he looked at her curiously, wondering where that question had come from. Hadn't he mentioned yesterday that he was simply wandering?
Then again, he supposed that he hadn't been very clear about what that entailed. "I never really go anywhere in specific when I'm out of the teepee, as a matter of fact; I have places I like to go, but I suppose you could say that I'm a true rover. And since I just left the teepee yesterday, I have quite a bit of random time to fill."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:59 pm
It wasn't a threat and if Hienna had so much as thought that Zaphiro was taking her jests that way...She would have apologized profusely and talked even slower to make sure her words were all right. As it was, she had already gotten mighty comfortable around him and her words were coming more naturally and she was becoming less tedious about how she chose them.
It was both a good and bad thing, truthfully.
"I would never gore you, Zaphiro," Her voice was soft, but certain on that, "Nor would I think that you deserve to be stabbed. But yes, it did work out well indeed." When he said he had nothing to do, she simply smiled.
"Perhaps you can wander around with me, then...?" Where had THAT come from?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
