[PD] A Day at the Lake (Kole/Edith) [FIN]

[Cornetified]

Kole had arrived to the lake park early to get himself acclimated to the area. Thankfully, the only other visitors were hanging out on the other side of the lake. It was a little family, which made him think that they wouldn’t be around for too much longer, if the kids had bedtimes like most seemed to. It was actually quite peaceful. Peaceful or not... he didn’t want anything to go wrong. This was his first real outing with Edith since he’d changed... They’d both come through a lot to get to this point. They’d both changed so much since their childhoods. Their lives had turned upside-down and inside out; and now, somehow, a bit of stability was returning.

He had found a relatively flat area of grass to lay out a blanket, chewing his lip slightly. He hoped it would be good enough. Everything he owned was grungy from cave living, and the blanket was no different. He’d spent quite a bit of time scrubbing it as hard as he could. He let himself stretch out to look up at the blue sky, watching it turn orange and pink and red and purple... It had been a long time since he’d sat down and watched the sunset. It was almost as pretty as Edith was... The thought made his cheeks heat up a tiny bit.

Edith was a little later in arriving than she would have liked. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and frowned at the blood stain on her grey skin. She couldn't scrub it properly because of the basket she carried in her other hand, but it didn't bother her as much as it would have a few months ago. Now it seemed as mildly annoying as having chocolate or a bit of berry juice on her hand.

She stretched her wings as she flew over the tree tops and seemed to coast on the breezes before pushing it a little harder. The lake was close, so that meant that Kole was closer...Her little heart did a few flutters in her chest. Edith smiled with a little excited shimmy. This was going to be awesome! Beyond the rare supper that he had agreed to come to, they really hadn't hung out much since growing. She was hoping to change all of that.

The staravia dipped her left wing so that she could glide around the curve of the lake while making her descent. She waved to a sweet little family, whose smiles were only as bright as the water itself, before landing gently on the ground in front of Kole. Edith immediately grinned and waved to him as well.

A shadow flying across the sky caught his attention, and his smile lifted. Edith... He pushed himself up to stand as Edith landed. Her cute wave made his smile widen a little. “Hey,” he murmured softly. That familiar worry prickled along the back of his neck.. that he might flip his mind for whatever reason and hurt her... but thinking about it would only make it worse. He focused on her smile instead. “What’s.. in the basket?”

Holding up a finger, she stepped a little closer to him and lifted back the flap. Inside was a loaf of homemade bread, a wedge of cheese, some turkey, and a few different dips. When she opened the other side there was a container of lemonade. Edith hadn't been so sure that he would like the bitter drink, but she had liked it well enough when she could taste it.

Leaning forward slightly, Kole looked into the basket and felt his stomach clench. It always did that when Edith fed him. She always got such good food for him, and he was fairly certain that she didn't steal it like he tended to do. He really should try to find some way to pay for food... but he could never hold a proper job when... “It looks great. Thanks.” He sat back down and patted the ground for her to join him. “I’m glad you could make it,” he said, giving her a little smile.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

With a beaming smile, she tucked her dress under her legs and sat down onto the ground. She brought her little, nearly broken, phone out to type "Me too! It's been so long. I missed you." In reality, it hadn't actually been that long since she'd last seen him, but to Edith it had seemed like an eon.

She brought the food out of the basket and arranged it on the blanket. The young girl had even brought an actual plate, cup, and utensils from home, since she didn't see the need in disposable things. That was just a waste!

"Have you been waiting long?"  

[Cornetified]

Kole chuckled lightly at Edith's enthusiasm. It really did feel like ages... He treasured their calm hours together. "I missed you," he replied.

When the food came out, he had to keep from grabbing and scarfing. He'd been eating so much better now that Edith was able to feed him, but he still had to improvise during their times apart. He picked up the sandwich and took a small bite, repressing a moan of delight. So yummy...

Glancing at the phone, he shook his head lightly. "I got here early, but you don't have to worry about that. I.. wanted to make sure this spot was okay.. for us."

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Edith sat back in the grass, and tucked her legs to her side. She liked that Kole seemed to like her cooking, it made her more than a little giddy and gave her cheeks a bit of warmth to see the enthusiasm. Still, it always made her wonder how he got by without her cooking...Well, so long as she could stuff him to the gills while he was around then she supposed he would be fine.

If he would just move in with her, then she could take care of him all the time!

Making a little 'o' with her face, she looked back across the water at the lone family. They seemed to be packing up now. For a moment Edith's cheer seemed to fall as she watched them. She wondered if her life would have ever been normal like that or if she was destined to be weird.

Turning back to the basket, she dug around for one of the last remaining items; a little flowered thermos. She unscrewed the lid and poured out a warm, if not dark, drink that smelled suspiciously like copper. Before she drank, though, she seemed to think better of it. Sitting her cup down, she typed, "Is this okay?" She had never drunk in front of him before...and it looked really creepy. She wouldn't be surprised if he thought she was gross, because well...she thought it was pretty gross.  

[Cornetified]

Seeing her reaction to looking over at the family, Kole gave Edith a little smile of understanding. "Edith... It's both of us," he said softly. "Don't forget, at least you only go after your own type." He tried to smile playfully, but it was half-hearted. It was partially his fault she was like this...

He didn't actually notice the strange drink Edith was pouring for herself until he heard the ticking of the phone keys. He looked up, and a dark smirk rose on his lips. It was so funny, seeing the once innocent drinking- He shook his head roughly, and his smile softened. "Of course it's okay." He reached out and gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

His comforting admission surprised her. She turned towards him with a pleased smile, one with more than a little warmth. If there was anyone that would understand it would be Kole, and she was blessed to have him.

For the briefest of moments she worried that the darker side of him might make an appearance, but Kole was strong. Stronger than he had been at first. She reached up to hold his wrist in a loose grip while she pressed her cheek to his hand. When she let go her cheeks were decidedly darker, and she took up the cup in both hands to sip from it.

She motioned to the food though as if to say 'Eat up, eat up!'. It was all there for him, after all. Taking another drink from her cup, Edith sat it too the side and took up some crackers. The little staravia spread some of her BLT dip onto it, and leaned forward, holding the cracker out for Kole to take a bite.
 

[Cornetified]

Kole felt his chest thicken slightly as Edith's cheek pressed to his hand. To know that she was still there despite everything he'd done...

Her gestures to the food made him chuckle, and he nodded before taking another bite of the sandwich. With the little family headed out for the evening, the peace of the area grew. The wind rustling the leaves and grass, the cooling air, the growing shade... It really was a lovely spot to be.

He looked up at the scent of the dip drawing near, and suddenly felt like an awkward teenager. He could either take the cracker with his hand... or take a bite from it as it was... Would that be weird? Well, if she took a bite of something he was offering, it would be utterly adorable. Him, though... Probably. Most definitely. "Thanks," he said, reaching out to take the cracker in the more modest manner with his hand.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

She watched him expectantly, and felt her wings flaring out behind her with anticipation. There was absolutely no reason she should be disappointed that he took the cracker with his hand, but she pouted, never the less. It was normal to eat that way, right? The other would have been weird...but he could have tried...

Edith sat back to finish off her cup and pour herself another. This one she downed as if it were a shot, with a grimace to boot. The taste of blood was something of an acquired taste; even for a vampire! She missed the taste of lemonade, cheeseburgers, and those little cookies with the raisins in them...Shaking her head, Edith put the cap on the thermos and stood, motioning for Kole to do the same. Food could wait; she wanted to play!

 

[Cornetified]

Kole was a little surprised to see the pout. Had she been expecting him to... Really? He ducked his head bashfully to take more bites from the sandwich. Maybe.. if she did it again he could try to...

As Edith's hands fluttered, her looked up curiously. Cocking his head, he put the sandwich down and wrapped it in one of the napkins. "Did you want to do something else?" he asked, looking around the park briefly before looking back at Edith in case she pulled her phone back up. There was a small, very simple playground, the lake, trees... and that was about it.

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Nodding her head, Edith padded down closer to the lake. Her bare feet left tracks in the porous ground, and when she moved her toes cool mud squished between them. She seemed to be rather nervous, since she kept looking back over her shoulder at him, and dodging any looks behind a feathered wing.

Then Edith tossed her vest onto a branch, and hung her necklace up beside it. She tried to fluff up her wings as much as she could to cover herself, but it didn't do much good. The girl might as well have been stripping when she reach back to unclasp her dress and shimmy it down her petite body. Even if she did hide herself, there wasn't much hesitancy in her movements, and when she turned back around to face Kole, Edith was all nervous smiles.

While she no longer wore her dress, she was covered in a bikini. A little floral printed number, with a flounced bandeau top. She had never gone swimming before (if you didn't count the time she'd almost drown making a delivery), and it was a little odd to be so...lightly dressed.

Edith held her hand out to Kole, and motioned back towards the water.  

[Cornetified]

Giving a nod in return, Kole stood to follow after Edith, a little hesitant as they headed for the lake. He hoped she wasn't expecting to go out and swim... He didn't know how to. Frankly, did she, with those big wings?

When he looked over to ask, brow knitting slightly when he saw pretty much nothing but wings. Then he saw the dress slipping off... Quickly, he spun to give her more privacy, and to calm the heat that had naturally risen to his cheeks.

As though sensing the changes, his hair finally went into action, grabbing his face to turn it back when Edith was done. ...The heat he'd just chased away came back in triple force, nearly matching the color of his markings! She looked amazing... "Wow..." One arm of hair smacked the back of his head to get him moving again, but as he quickly turned toward to lake to stop his gawking, he looked down at himself. Edith was beautiful. His body was covered with scars from fights and those awful markings. He was sure she wouldn't want to see all that...

"Looks like I missed the memo," he said with a playful smile. He conceded to take off the outer shirt, but he kept his undershirt on to keep cover. The pants.. would have to get wet. He kicked off his boots, tugged off the socks, and stepped into the shallows of the lake. The water was cool, refreshing his bikini frazzled mind. Looking back, he smiled and kicked a tiny splash in Edith's direction. "Coming?"

Painted Moose

 

[Painted Moose]

Cornetified

Edith turned her head bashfully with an noticeably embarrassed turn of her wing. Her left wing curled slightly over her, giving the teen a bit of protection from the now awkward situation. Why was it awkward, though? She had felt perfectly fine a minute ago! But Kole had said 'wow' and... The whole ordeal left her feathers ruffled.

She supposed she should have told him about water wear, but even Edith hadn't planned on wearing the suit. That might have been a lie...she'd been fawning over it all season, so when she had enough saved up to spend on something frivolous she'd purchased it.

Little legs made their way down to the waters edge, and jumped up when the spray of Kole's splash hit them. Edith moved from foot to foot, comically reacting to the cool water. When she had calmed down, she walked down into the water until it came up to her knees. At this depth Edith was still capable of keeping her wings out of the water, but only by consciously lifting them.

Turning to Kole, Edith's smile broke into a full blown impish grin and she sent a larger splash his way.  

[Cornetified]

Kole had to laugh when Edith danced around in response to the chilly water. It felt good to laugh...

The splash of the water surprised him, making him shiver once before smiling again. It was quite invigorating, and seeing Edith's playfulness was a delight. Trying to keep his aim toward Edith's lower half and away from the wings, he splashed back with a little-used playful smile.

Painted Moose

 

[Cornetified]

The little Staravia bounced around in the water, trying to avoid Kole's splashes while managing to get further into the water herself. She didn't notice at first that her wings had dipped into the water, but when she moved a great gusting splash went towards Kole.

For a moment she gasped.

Then she grinned and with the help of a good, light whirlwind, Edith let him have it.

Kole was yet only up to just above his knees when the first big splash surprised him. His arms and hair all flicked up to cover his face. Various arms parting, he looked at Edith curiously, followed by a small chuckle. He went to prepare his next splash, but sensing the ability brought his arms back up. His hair, however, ducked behind him with a mind of its own, and Kole found himself soaked.

The feeling of his clothes sticking completely to his lanky frame sent a tremble up his back, while one arm of hair came back around to playfully poke his cheek. "You're in on this with her, aren't you?" he accused the solid strands. Yet, the 'hands' smacked together in front of him to form a bowl. It was able to scoop up a good amount. He spun to make a sort of sling shot, and both sets of hands launched the collected water back at Edith.

Edith couldn't help herself from laughing. It was a soundless action, one that had her clutching her gut with little squeaks slipping out every now and then. When she had enough of her senses back Edith blew a little kiss to the solid strands and laughed again until she saw Kole. Really saw him. With his clothing absolutely drenched she could see a clear outline of him...and was he always that good looking?

She was too busy gawking to defend at against the sling slot attack. With a strangled squeal, Edith took the attack full on the torso and reflexively stepped back. Her sodden wings, coupled with slick stones under her feet, dunked the teen in the water.

Watching Edith get thrown back, Kole couldn't tell if he wanted to laugh or scream. His hair was doing a little victory flail while he pushed through the water to get where Edith was, his body moving faster than his mind. He was at her side in a blink, and his hand shot down to grab her arm and yank her back above. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I didn't realize they would throw so hard!" he quickly sputtered out, his other hand pushing Edith's hair back from her face. His own hair continued to dance, much to his charinge, and he did his best to get them under control.

Edith latched onto Kole's arm and flailed about until she got her footing. She sputtered, coughing up a lung full of lake water before she was able to hold up a thumbs up. Shaking her head, she held up her left arm parallel to the ground and skimmed her open right hand against the length of it to simulate the fall. It was going to happen sooner or later, but wow! His hair packed a whollop!

Her hands reached up to interlace between the strands of solid hair as if they were his actual hands, holding them up and hopefully calming them for a moment. She shook her head before turning her face towards his. Kole's eyes were just...the most gorgeous things she had ever seen. Edith stood for a moment, transfixed by the sight...before leaning up on her tip toes and kissing him on impulse.

Trying to hold steady between Edith's flailing and his hair and heart both doing the same, he let out a long breath of relief when she calmed down. She seemed unharmed. More startled, which was something he could handle.

When the dancing hair was grabbed, it sent the first shock through his system. He wasn't used to others willingly touching it, and despite how it enjoyed teasing her, Edith was now helping sooth it. He couldn't help staring at her, feeling himself flush a tiny bit. Standing so close to her was such a rare treat... one he hardly allowed himself to enjoy. His hair was forgotten as he sank into her eyes...

For a moment, he wondered if he was actually falling into those sweet gems! They were so big, and so close.. and then so overwhelmed by the touch to his lips. His eyes widened, and his cheeks flared up. Edith! His hair stood still and limp, just as shocked. A protest started in his lungs, but it came out a moan of unimaginable delight. His arms wrapped around her, and he pulled her closer, heart thudding as the little starvia warmed him so thoroughly.

Her arms lowered to rest on his shoulders, slipping out of the hold she had on his hair to grasp him. Her wings hung like a thick, heavy cloak behind her and it was through sheer will alone that Edith rose higher to meet him. She wasn't sure what had made her do it. Perhaps it was several nights of sitting by the door, waiting on the rare evenings Kole would visit and have supper with her. Maybe it was the way her blood seemed to sing around him, or-

Edith pulled away from Kole to catch her breath. When she looked up into his eyes her breathing was husky, lips chaffed and puckered. Was that alright? Maybe she shouldn't have done that...what if he was upset with her now?

He simply couldn't think straight with this. Kole was focused solely on the young woman in his embrace. He was so hungry for contact, for affection and acceptance. He was getting all of it in one swift hit. All of it from Edith... the most important person in the world to him...

When the contact broke, so did his little dream bubble. Edith was still beautiful... and he was still a ticking monster waiting behind a calm facade. Pressing his lips together to savor the lingering warmth, he held his breath and backed away, forcing himself to drop his arms back to his sides. His hair gave a twitch, but even it didn't know how to react. "Edith... You.. you know what I am..." Feeling the heat start to prickle at his eyes, he turned to head back for dry land. "You deserve someone you can depend on.. and that's not me. You know that. ...We both know that.  

[Painted Moose]

There was no way for her to predict Kole's mood swing, but in a sad way Edith wasn't surprised by it. He tormented himself far worse than any one being ever could. It hurt her so much to see him struggling like that. Edith reached her hand out for his, but he pulled back faster than her advance.

Why won't you let me help you? Why can't you just trust me?

Edith furrowed her brows, mouth opening and closing while her hands twitched. If she could have cursed at him, she would have! She was tired of feeling helpless around him. Every time they were together it seemed as if they both were waiting for a ball to drop, and it wasn't fair. It wasn't fair to him, and it damn well wasn't fair to her.

The little Starvia tromped as fast as she could towards land, which wasn't very fast at all. Her small stature coupled with the weight of her watered down wings slowed her down quite a bit. However, Edith was supernaturally determined and more than a little miffed.

As soon as she could, Edith snatched his wrist in hers and used her strength to flip Kole onto his back on the shore. Her eyes still held a soft glow, but her face had turned into a determined snarl. She pinned him underneath her with her little hands on his shoulders, and before he could argue she pressed her lips to his once more.

Kole certainly heard the water sloshing as Edith chased, but he kept his direction firmly forward. If he couldn't see her face, he couldn't see whatever expression it might hold. He couldn't read her lips or eyes or body language; which he was fairly certain would consist of her telling him to stay for some reason. His legs wouldn't move as fast as normal though, weighed down by more than just the water. He'd messed up their lives enough...

The grab to his wrist surprised him only slightly, but the yank that sent him to the ground knocked the wind out of him with surprise. He gasped in the lost breath, unable to move for a split second.. Long enough for Edith to make her move. The moment their lips touched again, his eyes burned and watered fully, and he squeezed them shut. His arms wrapped around her again, one hand up to stroke through her wet hair. After a moment, her broke the contact to gasp for air. "What's wrong with you?!" he growled, though he just as quickly took her lips again. "Why don't you just-" his other arm tightened around her tiny waist, "-get rid of me yet?" She tasted so good... "Chase me off or something?" Her skin was what he imagined silk would feel like... "Don't keep someone like me around." Damn it, he couldn't help himself... He didn't deserve her at all. Not one bit...

Edith's knees sunk into the muck on either side of Kole, but it only served to press her further against him. She nibbled on his lower lip, fangs scrapping against skin as she dominated what she had always known was hers. At the break in contact she only growled. There was no way she was going to let him break away again! Not that he seemed to be doing a good job at fighting it.

What WAS wrong with her? Her brother would scold her if he knew what she was doing, but Edith had always been rebellious. Daring. Possessive. Around Kole she had always been softer, but not now. Her lips trailed from his down to his neck, where her fangs nibbled at the tender flesh. He smelled so good..so sweet but husky, like the forest.

Heart thudding within his chest, Kole could feel the energy shifting around them, and within himself. They'd crossed the line they'd been dancing along for some time now, and it was amazing. Feeling how determined Edith was, his own paper-thin resolve was rapidly melting. ...She had to be his, and he was hers... Nothing more to say on that subject. Nerves plucked at the back of his mind, but, mostly, he actually felt relief. There wasn't room anymore for him to doubt that Edith wanted him around.

He trembled as her mouth moved down, tilting his head slightly to allow her access... The scrape of her teeth briefly reminded him of an idea he'd been throwing around; but, of course, he couldn't be distracted from Edith for more than a moment. His hair, having been motionless for a while, was now hesitantly reached out out to stroke Edith's wings. It was like they were confused by the new thoughts and feelings going through Kole's head, and was even more uncertain of how to react to it than Kole himself had been. Meanwhile, Kole was becoming less uncertain. So hungry for the contact, he couldn't stop running his hands along her waist, arms, back, and hips... He just wanted to hold her forever.

Edith moved her hand from his shoulder to cup his head instead. Her nails, which were more like claws than ever before, barely ghosted over his skin. Every time his touch seemed to ignite a nerve inside of her, Edith would tighten the hold on his strands before loosening them once more. She felt the touch of his solid strands upon her wings much in the same fashion as she had felt around him when this whole thing began. It was sweet, but barely a pulsing thought at the moment.

She groaned against his skin, unconsciously moving her body against his hands, wherever they might be. Edith had wanted to be held by him for so long that it didn't seem real to have him now. If this was a dream then she fully intended on taking advantage of it for as long as she could.

There was no way of knowing how this would all play out, but for Edith, what they had at that moment was plenty enough for her.

((Fin))