It's when they're alone, one day after a rescue mission that Isabela realizes it.
She is kneeling in front of Merrill, tenderly wiping the blood of their latest enemies from her small face. Isabela does it gently, almost afraid she might break Merrill with too rough a touch. She's never been this gentle with another person before, she realizes.
"Thank you," Merrill says. She smiles sweetly at Isabela and a spike of affection for the elf shoots through her.
Isabela finishes and sets the bloodied rag aside. "Anything for you kitten," she murmurs. For most, she would say it sexually, just another joke with no true meaning. But with Merrill she knows it's true, she really would do anything for the other woman.
Merrill blushes prettily at the implication. "You know, Isabela, I'm glad we're friends." The words are a comfort, and yet they send a knife through Isabela's heart.
Isabela has been a lot of things to a lot of people. A (albeit unwilling) wife, an ally, an enemy and of course, a bed companion. But she cannot remember one person who actually called her a friend. And yet she finds herself yearning for more because in that moment Isabela realizes she is in love with Merrill.
She never expected to find love, real love for someone. Certainly not for this sweet, inexperienced mage. In a world like theirs, mages are forced to grow up too quickly and yet Merrill has still retained her sweet optimism. And for some reason Isabela finds this irresistible.
The space between them feels too large suddenly and she finds herself moving closer. When Isabela speaks again it's in a whisper, almost afraid of scaring the other woman off. "Are you telling me you've never thought we could we more than just friends?"
Merrill looks down at her, shock clearly written across her face. "Of course I've..I mean, that is to say that I've..well I just never thought that you...And now I'm babbling. Let me start over." Merrill takes a deep breath and simply murmurs, "Yes," before leaning down and pressing her lips to Isabela's.
Stretching upward, Isabela hooks her arm around Merrill's neck pulling the mage closer. She kisses her gently at first, then harder at Merrill's urging. Abruptly the kiss breaks off, as Merrill falls forward, the two landing in a heap on the floor.
Merrill giggles from her place on top of Isabela. "That wasn't quite what I imagined," she whispers, blushing again but managing to hold Isabela's gaze.
"Mmm, but now we're on even ground, kitten." Isabela smirks and leans up, threading her fingers in Merrill's hair as Isabela pulls her into another kiss.
