Chrystali
Moonstone Dazzle
Chrystali
Moonstone Dazzle
Chrystali
His head shook and he did hold her tightly then, trying to surround her with as much of him as he could, a barrier between Autumn and anything that would take this moment from them. A low rumble escaped him, pressing his lips to her cheek softly, trying to impart some comfort and solidarity. "Autumn," he used her name, perhaps the first time since they'd met, "I don't know about you, but I -- I have never been happier than I am right now. With you. Dating you has been the most inspiring, easy, right experience I've had and for me, that means I'm here. I'm on your side. And more than the stories, what is real and what isn't, you are what is important to me."
He paused, gathering his thoughts and giving her a gentle squeeze. "What I'm saying is - this town can burn, and I'll do what I can to help, but I'm going to be getting you out first. It may be what's affecting you, but it's not as important as you. Okay?" Deacon tried to really look at her from his position, sliding his hands up and down her arms before readjusting them around her sides.
"Now." The rest was a bit harder to wrap his head around. "Where I come from, there's a lot of talk of magic - believers and non. But I've -- heard the stories here. I did some snooping around when I first got here." Imagine his surprise to find the reports of one Autumn Smith that had gone missing. "I'm an open-minded man. I literally just watched my girl have a full family conversation with a murder. I'd be a damn fool to just write that off." He rest his lips upon her shoulder again, speaking softly over it, "But you seem happy. You're not in danger?"
It was really not intentional. Autumn was not a softie, and had always taken care of herself. Independent woman don’t need no man, and all those lovely clichés she hated so ******** much. It was just a part of who she was. She took care of other people, they didn’t… return the favor. So admitting this, letting herself be weak…
Well. It wasn’t her fault that she was tearing up a bit. Autumn sniffed, trying to keep herself from crying like a damn fool. She’d done way too much of that lately, she felt. The spider, her nightmares… It was like the universe was intent on making her weak in the wake of her new life.
“I’m really bad at. Like. Letting people in like this,” she admitted for the second time, “Because it scares the s**t outta me. There’s a lot of baggage I don’t like to bring up with people, cause… it made me who I am, but it’s not me. So I do my damndest not to share it with people.”
Autumn turned to facilitate the eye contact, smiling despite the threat of waterworks. Seriously. Deacon was like, basically the greatest guy on the face of this earth. She was convinced, and would not be dissuaded from the idea. Like ever.
“But I’m not gonna lie to you. Not… not with how great you are, and how I’m basically sharing all that s**t about this being so good and easy and perfect? Like. I’m there with you. I don’t know, I think we both needed something good like this.” She sighed to herself, cause s**t, it HAD been good. Real good.
“So here it all is. Ashdown is, like. On the border with another world. The magic from there is bleeding over here, and I’m balls deep in it. There was a group of us… that met a girl who guards Other Ashdown, and her Handmaiden, the Peaceful One. A deer thing, that’s the only way to describe them. We found out… we’re all gonna be in this.” Autumn breathed in through her nose, trying to stay calm as she explained.
“For me, it started with… animals coming to me when I sang. Then I could talk to Rosalinde, and other cats, and birds. Then, I could heal people. Who knows what’s next.” She laughed, no humor in the sound.
“Am I happy? I’m sorry, have you SEEN who I’m dating?” Autumn teased, managing a bit of a smile. “But… am I safe? I can’t say I am.”
She frowned.
“There’s, uh. There’s a lot of weird s**t that happens. I don’t mean to scare you, but it’s basically a war. I got kidnapped by a fairy, burnt by a man made of fire, and abducted by spiders in an abandoned hospital. I can’t promise it’s gonna get any less dangerous, but I can promise I’m gonna do my best to keep myself and my friends alive. And, you know. Not ******** with any more spiders.”
"And that's it. That's... the whole kit and kaboodle. Take it or leave it, it is what it is."
Deacon was a captive audience of one, listening to her every word and giving her the time to catch her breath when she needed it, running his thumbs over her sides or touching his lips to her shoulder as warranted. A faint smile flickered at the mention of war, otherwise, he kept himself attentive and with a somber expression, letting her say what needed to be said.
He was quiet a bit longer when the story was told, but slid more onto the ottoman so there was no space between them, legs around her and holding tight and warm in his embrace. Deacon worried his bottom lip between his teeth, sorting through the information that wasn't exactly impossible to believe, just difficult to take in one shot.
"I'm not leaving anything," he said after a moment, and there was a strange sort of finality in his tone that was a bit larger than he implied just then. "This...Other place is tied to you, and I'm tying myself to you. I acknowledge -- all you're enduring, and while it admittedly steams me that I can't do anything for you," the corners of his mouth dimpled in displeasure, "I can still be here for you here, right?" His blue eyes held hers, and though he was staying the gentleman, there was a small touch of pleading there. "You're not going to keep me at arm's length and push me away?"
Deacon had to know. He was already dealing with it from his idiot best friend, he wasn't sure what he would do if Autumn decided to do the same.
"There's danger in every decision, Lady Smith, and the opposite of that decision. I chose to come out here, against my friend's knowledge, and maybe that put me in the line of danger with the going-on's." Broad shoulders lifted in a subtle shrug. "But maybe if I didn't come, I'd be hit by a bus the next day, or he'd have found himself on the unlucky end of the town. I'm here now, and I'm deciding to stay with my very real Disney Queen, if she'll have me."
His gaze was gentle, understanding, though he couldn't possibly fathom the entire scope of what was going on. "It's not just me that has the decision to make. It takes two to make a relationship work." Her opinion would not be less important or discarded - not now, not ever.
“…As much as I kind of find you an idiot for staying,” Autumn sniffed, nonetheless smiling, “If it’s what you really want? No. I’m not gonna push you away. Just… remind me that I’ve agreed to that, yeah?” She laughed a bit, at herself admittedly. It was her conversation with Chris all over again- don’t push people away. Don’t be Elsa, the thematic joke of being a princess told her.
The world was not expecting her to conceal and not feel.
“I really hope it doesn’t ever pull you in. It’s…. it’s scary as s**t,” she admitted, snugging closer to him. “When I was missing, there was- I was- the thing. That kidnapped me. It pushed me into a man’s mind unwillingly, and I saw everything about him. And I don’t know how to face myself for it.”
She was… frightened. And yet, she was hopeful. Looking Deacon in the eyes (it was hard, so hard, Jesus Christ she was not this open with people), she continued.
“I’m gonna need help. I’m not… everyone jokes I’m the princess, but that’s not the help I need. Not really. I don’t… know how to take care of myself. Emotionally.” Autumn reached to grab one of his hands in her, and smiled weakly.
“So. If you’ll have me, Mister Dragon,” she teased, “I’d be damn lucky to have you in my life.”
Another smile flickered across his features. "I'll figure out a way to remind you." He lifted one hand to gently draw his index finger along her cheek and jaw, his thumb following suit. Her continual recollection of the horrors she'd faced made his chest ache in the familiar lack of being able to do anything about the past, but here, now, it was okay. She needed to vent and he would listen, leaning in close and kissing her softly.
"This dragon knows who he belongs to," he teased back softly, smiling against her lips, "and counts himself lucky to have a place at his Lady's side." Yeah, it was scary out there in the world he couldn't see, but he could make their time together happy, fill their days with light for when she had to face the dark without him.
