Warmth
Please read my profile for updated information. I'm really working hard on getting things done, and your thoughts about what you're about to read would mean the world. (honest) This is yet another Daystar and Shiara oneshot story. In terms of time, I would place this after Snowfall and before Test of Heart.
Disclaimer: I don't claim to have any rights or ownership of the Enchanted Forest or its respective characters. I receive no profit, as this is just for fun.
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The last light of day bathed Shiara in warmth as she sat much like a cat would in a patch of sunlight. Her back rested against the warmed stonewalls of the garden, her arms resting comfortably upon brought up knees. Her gaze was cast downward, into the grass where nothing held particular attention. She did not feel like doing much of anything; there was no spark, no drive. She didn't want Daystar to see her as vulnerable as she felt. But she knew it would only be a matter of time before he found her; he knew today was the day she would come down from the Mountains of Morning. That and she was in the garden inside of the castle itself; it wouldn't be long.
Daystar was confused, and he knew something wasn't right when he saw Kazul before he saw Shiara. He knew she was here as well, he felt her energy within the castle, although today it felt different. He set out to find her, following the feint whisper of the spirit he felt. It led outside to the garden, and as he stepped outside he noticed absentmindedly that the sun was setting. He looked around and spotted her sitting there, and he felt his heart skip a beat as he took in what he saw. The solid beams of the sun practically submersed Shiara in a breathtaking glow, and as the rays weakened and faded from sight, it did nothing to mask her beauty.
Shiara heard him coming, but never lifted her head to acknowledge him. He stopped before her and knelt to perceive her better, not understanding why she seemed so dazed.
"Shiara," Daystar said softly, not wanting to startle her. It was then that she lifted her head and caught his gaze, and it was at that moment that all consciousness returned. Panic seemed to fill her eyes, and she scrambled to stand. Brows furled into confusion at the display of alarm, and he stood as well.
"What's wrong?" Daystar asked, worry evident in his eyes as he tried to calm her down.
"Nothing! Nothing is wrong, Daystar.. It's just that you startled me.." She said quickly. He wasn't convinced.
"Love, it's hard to startle the aware. Did I do something to upset you?"
Shiara shook her head, "No, it's just…" He began to reach out for her, and in a panic shied away from his touch. Daystar's eyes darted up to meet hers in astonishment. He dropped his arms in a disbelieving way, and Shiara swallowed hard to hold back tears.
"Tell me what's wrong." He said softly, his voice hardly above a whisper.
"I.." Shiara shook her head, and stepped back from his advance. Soon she found herself against a wall, and she dropped her gaze from his.
"Shiara," Daystar said urgently, a hand gently lifting to caress her cheek. Shiara's body shuddered from his touch. He pulled away quickly in shock at what he felt. "You're.. as cold as ice."
Shiara looked up and caught his eyes, distress apparent within her gaze, "I know.." She shivered again against the cold only she felt, and Daystar immediately pulled her against him despite her small protests. He wrapped his arms around her, and she reveled in his warmth and let out a shaky sigh.
"What happened?" Daystar asked, her freezing embrace feeling odd and unfamiliar.
"I-I.. caught a cold.." Daystar pulled back and looked at her incredulously. "A fire-witch cold." She went on to explain, ignoring his look of skepticism.
"Wait, before you go into details, how do we cure it?"
Shiara shook her head, "Warmth. And time." Daystar nodded, and moved to pick her up.
"Let's get you settled first," he said gently, transporting them back to his room. He set her down gently on the bed, and left her side momentarily to start a fire in the large fireplace. Daystar heard ruffling in the background as he stoked the fire; he never thought he would be doing such a thing with summer so close by. When he was satisfied that the fire was well-fed he turned to see that Shiara had discarded her dress and changed into one of his shirts.
Daystar felt his face flush, and he dropped his gaze as she climbed back onto the bed and under the covers. Gorgeous. Damn gorgeous. He walked over to the other side and sat down on the bed, and began to discard his boots. Shiara turned to face him when she felt the dip of the mattress.
"A fire-witch cold is something that only our kind can suffer from. Our immune systems are strong against everything else.. but this." Daystar crawled under the covers and sat up against the headboard as he listened. Silently, he extended his arm and Shiara moved to lay against him. She moved and clung to him as close as she could, and Daystar closed the embrace warmly around her. "It is, quite literally a cold, and it overwhelms us physically and emotionally. Our skin becomes like ice, and our emotions are drained. We quite literally… lose our fire." Daystar looked down at her as she spoke, her eyes closed as she tried to feel the heat around her. "I.. didn't want you to see me like this. Usually when one becomes inflicted with the cold, they are isolated until well. It's… not a good experience to suffer from when in a community of fire-witches. People hate you more." She looked up to her lover with curiosity; she wanted to know what he thought. "I thought that you'd… for a second…"
Daystar looked into her eyes and shushed her gently, "Hey, keeping you warm is my job. Even though I never really have the opportunity," he grinned a little, and Shiara swore she felt her heart melt at that sight alone, ice be damned. "Now's my chance to prove to you that I actually have a level of body warmth." He lowered himself from his sitting position, and pulled her close to him once he was laying down. He placed a gentle kiss to her forehead, "And I would never, not even for a second, hate you for any reason. I didn't fall in love with what you are, but with who you are." Shiara held back tears again at his words, and she cuddled closer to him still and grinned against his skin.
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Shiara opened her eyes the next morning to find plenty of blankets covering her. Pushing them aside, she sat up slowly and looked around sleepily, not yet fully awake from her slumber.
"Ah, you're awake." Daystar said softly, and walked over from the fireplace to the bed to see how she felt. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Shiara's forehead and waited a moment for her temperature. He pulled back when he felt how cold she still was. "Damn," Daystar muttered quietly, and fondly covered her back up again. He kissed her lips this time in greeting, and pulled back to check on what was over the fire.
"Mm, what are you doing?" Shiara asked as she pulled the blankets up to her chin to try and conserve the warmth. She closed her eyes for a moment to try to get used to the idea of staying awake.
"I brought you a little something that I made this morning, I figured you wouldn't be too up for moving." He said as picked up a wooden spoon and stirred the contents of the small pot he had simmering over the fire.
Shiara quickly opened her eyes and looked over to Daystar, "Did you just say you made me food?" She asked excitedly, eyes looking over all that he was doing by the fireplace.
"I did indeed my love." He responded, and looked over his shoulder in curiosity when he heard the excitement in her voice. She grinned at him, and he laughed. "Alright, I give up," Daystar said honestly, turning back around to pour a helping of the soup that he made into a large wooden bowl.
"Give up what?" She asked, adjusting herself so that she could eat without spilling.
"I didn't know soup put you in a good mood in the morning," He replied teasingly, and carefully handed her the hot bowl and a spoon.
Shiara took it gratefully, and smiled. "No, you idiot." She said playfully, looking up at him. "I love it when you cook," Shiara said truthfully, and began to eat without waiting for it to cool.
"You do?" Daystar asked in surprise, and watched in wonder as she ate without it burning her tongue.
"Very much so. You're an amazing chef, dear heart." Shiara said happily, and continued eating.
Daystar laughed, and sat down beside her. "Now I know you're sick," he said teasingly, and rolled over onto his stomach. He grabbed a pillow from under the blankets and tucked it comfortably under his head. Facing toward her direction so that he could listen easily, Daystar closed his eyes calmly and relaxed as Shiara ate her food.
Shiara looked down at her lovers form and smiled. "You're lucky I tolerate you to an extremely high level." She said as she finally finished her meal, and set the bowl on the nightstand beside her.
Daystar grinned, "I love you too, darling." Understanding what she meant without it having to be explained. His eyes remained closed until he felt her fingertips run through his hair. Daystar relaxed a moment at the sensation; the cool touch of her fingers so different than the usual one of warmth. He looked up quickly when he felt the violent shiver of her hand and arm from being so cold.
With an apologetic look, Shiara tucked her arm back under the blankets and closed her eyes.
"How long have you had this cold?" Daystar asked as he rolled off the bed to stand up.
"Since the first," Shiara responded softly, slowly pulling the blankets up to cover her head.
"For five days?" Daystar calculated out loud, and walked over to the side of the bed where she was laying.
"I really thought it would clear up by the time I came down from the Mountains of Morning. Kazul has even tried to make me feel better. What with her flame and all…"
Daystar looked down at Shiara with a mixed look of horror and disbelief. When he didn't say anything, Shiara lowered her blanket fortress to look at him.
"What?" She asked with genuine confusion, not seeing what was wrong with what she said.
"So what do mean, did she just have you stand there while she breathed fire at you?"
Shiara gave a shrug of her shoulders, or least what looked to be one from Daystar's perspective; there really were a lot of blankets wrapped around her.
"It was warm while it lasted," she said nonchalantly, and snuggled back into her pillow.
Daystar shook his head at the image. "Let's find a… more…" He struggled with finding the right word for a moment, "…safe. Yes, safe! Let's find a safer way to warm you up."
Shiara rolled her eyes. "Any suggestions?"
"Only one," Daystar smiled, "but it requires you getting up,"
Shiara looked at her lover suspiciously, and mentally thought about the consequences of doing such a thing. "It'll be warm?" At his nod, Shiara sighed as she slowly pushed the blankets off of her and sat up. "This better be worth it," she mumbled, accepting Daystar's hand for help in standing up. "Now what?" She asked impatiently as she shivered against him.
"Now you hold on,"
"We're leaving?" She asked in surprise, "But what about-"
"My parents already know you have a cold, I'm taking their advice and following their suggestion," Daystar interrupted gently, and kissed her forehead as he held onto her. Shiara closed her eyes quickly, not wanting to see the change of surroundings; it made her dizzy enough under normal circumstances. When she opened her eyes and looked around she smiled.
"A hot springs, really?" Shiara asked, looking up to Daystar in excitement.
"The Enchanted Forest is full of surprises," He said and leaned down to capture her lips with a kiss.
"Mmm, yes, and that's why I'm weary half the time." She said matter-of-factly.
Daystar laughed, "It never hurts to be cautious, but I've been assured that everything here is one hundred percent natural. Magic hasn't affected this water nor will it affect anyone who touches it,"
"That's a relief," Shiara said with a sigh, and grabbed Daystar's hand as she began to walk toward a small pool of water big enough for two. She knelt down beside it and gingerly dipped her fingers in. "I think this may work, Daystar," she said with a grin on her face as she looked up to him, and sat down on the ground to slowly slide into the water. Daystar turned away quickly, blushing as he realized that she was still only wearing his shirt from the night before. Without looking, he sat down next to the pool with his eyes focused intensely on the ground.
He heard Shiara sigh happily, and resisted the urge to turn and look.
"What, not joining me?" Shiara asked as she turned to see Daystar sitting there, eyes downcast.
"Well… um.."
"Look at me, love," Shiara said gently, feeling relaxed as the hot water warmed her up.
Daystar turned and found her eyes quickly. Shiara saw his reaction and for the first time in days, actually smirked at him.
"What's this now?" She asked, amused.
"Just.. um, giving you some privacy." Daystar said, hoping his voice sounded convincing enough to pass as confidence.
"I don't want privacy, Daystar." Shiara said smoothly, and laughed as she saw Daystar turn a shade of red. "Come on love, I'm only teasing. Please come and sit with me?" She asked nicely, knowing that her lover hardly refused when she was polite about something.
Daystar sat with his arms folded over his chest, and Shiara swore silently that there was nothing cuter than when he pouted. She began to count down in her head, 'Three, two, one..'
"All right, fine." He finally replied, and scooted tentatively over to the water, not aware of the smug smile Shiara sported upon her face. He dipped his fingers in quickly, and sighed in relief when the water was a bearable hot.
"Let me guess, this is only warm to you, isn't it?" He said and looked up to see her nodding. "Well, at least that's so. I'm afraid the next step was lava my dear. And I thought you would be cross if I tossed you in a volcano."
"You bet I would," She replied with a smile, knowing that he was only kidding. Daystar sighed in preparation, and slowly lowered himself into the water. Needless to say, Shiara watched with amusement. "You know, you'd think you'd be used to the heat by now," She remarked with a wink.
"You're feeling better, and that's not fair." Daystar said as he made his way over to her.
"Why not?" She asked, splashing some water calmly against her face in refreshment.
"Because I'm not mentally ready," He said seriously, to which Shiara laughed at.
"Just relax, dear heart." Shiara said and stood up when Daystar was near. There was a conveniently placed boulder in the water to sit upon, but there was only room for one. Daystar sat down and Shiara sat down comfortably in his lap.
"How are you feeling now?" Daystar asked curiously as he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
"Much, much better. Thank you Daystar," Shiara said appreciatively, and kissed his cheek. "For everything," she added softly, resting against his body comfortably. She played with the lacings of his shirt for a moment, content to relax without shivering every five minutes. "Hey love," She said thoughtfully, and pulled back to look up at him.
Daystar opened his eyes and looked down to her, "Yes?"
"Could you take this off?" She asked, tugging on his shirt gently. Daystar raised an eyebrow in confusion, but wordlessly complied. Shiara smiled and moved close against him, the warmth of his skin a great comfort for her. Daystar rolled his eyes playfully, not seeing what the difference was.
"Was that really necessary?" He asked in jest, kissing her shoulder.
"Yes, hush." She said in good humor. She kissed his neck lightly, not wanting him to question it. Daystar smiled and relaxed under Shiara's touch, remaining quiet as her fingers danced lazily across his skin. "I really think I'm getting better now, I can feel it." She said softly, continuing with her light caresses.
"Oh yeah?" He asked, and opened his eyes to look at her.
"I believe so, let me try something." Taking her hand from where it rested on his chest, she lifted it so that her palm was facing up. She mumbled something under her breath, and after a few moments, a small flame rose and flickered until it died out. Shiara grinned. "It worked!"
"It did?" He asked incredulously, and Shiara smacked him lightly on the shoulder.
"The most difficult thing for a fire-witch to do when they catch a cold is to create a flame," Shiara explained, kissing the spot where she hit him before moving to wrap her arms around his shoulders. "But the healing process dramatically increases once they reach that point. It's like…" She paused as she tried to think of a comparison. "It's like when a fever breaks."
Daystar grinned, and gently kissed her cheek. "That's a relief to hear my love. You had me worried yesterday." He mentioned softly as he pulled her close, not wanting her to slip off his lap.
"I didn't mean-" She was silenced with a kiss.
"I know, relax." Daystar quipped with a smile. "But you know… even though you caught the only cold you could possibly ever catch, and even though you felt absolutely horrible," he lifted a hand up to caress her cheek, "you still managed to take my breath away."
Shiara broke their gaze and turned her head slightly out of embarrassment. "How you manage to bewitch me with words is beyond me." She responded softly, not expecting a compliment.
"It's easy," He smirked as he gently brushed away strands of stray hair from her eyes. Shiara lifted her gaze to catch his. "I just tell the truth,"
Shiara grinned and rolled her eyes playfully. "You, my love, are too flirtatious for your own good."
"But you love me," Daystar said with a grin of his own, arms meeting around her waist once again in an affectionate embrace.
"You're lucky I do very much so, my prince." Shiara said with a smile, and leaned in for a kiss that would leave no doubt in her lovers mind about her restored fire.