Storm raged on outside but, also, in the hearts of both Naomi and Baron. Her heart was crying out for him. So much so that her eyes leaked with the sadness and desperation. Baron's was caught in a waging war between giving into her and continuing with this push he had established. He constantly kept her at arm's length, tried his best to keep as much emotional space between them as he could. Though, it was no special treatment he did just for her… he did this with everyone. He was far too dangerous, cursed at a young age with lycanthropy via a vicious attack. He was lucky to walk away but not without deep and harsh scars throughout his back and arms that would eternally remind him of the faithful day.

Their existence felt especially heavy now, nearly itching under the worn leather jacket he currently wore. He silently mused about the time Naomi had seen them, a moment he had let his guard down. She had touched every single one, fingers tracing over them… his spine shivered at the memory alone. He figured she must've thought them disgusting, but Naomi had thought them anything but. Of course, Baron couldn't believe her. And, despite such an intimate moment, he had built those walls up once more. Though, with each meeting, they were growing increasingly easier and easier to tear back down. It terrified him.

"Baron. Baron… look at me!" Her voice strained, effected by the sobs that ripped through her body. Spilled from her core. He still did not turn and it frustrated her, didn't make this moment any easier. Her hand reached to tug on his arm, feeling the limb tense under her fingers. "Baron. Please! I–I love you."

"You shouldn't –"

"But I do!" Baron finally turned to her. His eyes emotionless from what she could tell, but it pained him to see her like this. Especially when his own heart felt the same as hers. He loved her. Cared for her so deeply. There was no way he could've seen this coming. On paper, there was very little connections they had. They were as good as opposites. But, each interaction amused him more and more. Before he knew it, he had grown an interest in her, then an amusement and, finally, completely and utterly smitten by her. This realization did not occur to him overnight. In fact, he could gamble that they had realized in the same moment.

It was a dark night… clear with a breeze that felt just right. She was speaking, chattering away in a fashion he greatly appreciated. Baron relished in the silence, appreciated when he didn't have to speak much, and with her all he needed to do was listen. And listening is what he had been doing… that and studying her as she spoke. At first it was her physical features. He took in her radiant smile, her twinkling eyes. The kind of eyes that made him realize that brown eyes were vastly underrated. He had studied the way her hair fell past her shoulders, the green tips flowing with each gentle breeze. He chuckled to himself as he noticed the way her eyes grew wide over something exciting and the way her eyebrows furrowed when she tried to concentrate on some memory.

Then he had concentrated on her smell. It was distinct, sweet much like herself. Vanilla, sometimes a more flower-y smell, but her natural scent was one he'd be able to pick up anywhere. Especially near and after full moons, where his senses heighten and the wolf was much more alive. When he found himself close enough, he liked to inhale as much of it as he could. Imprinting it in his mind, giving him something to remember when he would inevitably lie awake and curse his selfishness. He should've left long ago. Revved up his motorcycle and left town, but his heart wanted to stay with her. So, he did… he told himself whenever the day comes that she falls for someone else, he'd leave. He wouldn't be able to stay and see that transpire.

And, it was during that moment, when he was silently studying her, that she had decided to finally look at him. She stopped speaking but her eyes never left his. In fact, he was sure she was doing just the same as he was. There was an inching, breaths being felt against warm skin and that's when Baron had rose and left her there. Told her they weren't a good idea, monsters like him didn't deserve good things like her. They'd ridicule her for it, she'd have a target on her back simply for being associated with him. Not to mention, he had no real home. He drifted more than anything, he barely knew where he'd end up sleeping in any given day.

He did not deserve her. She deserved better.

"I have nothing to offer you. Nothing good to give." This gained him a humorless laugh from her, hand rising to wipe away at her wet eyes. "Naomi… I'm a monster. You'll be alienated. I'm nearly homeless."

"I don't care about any of that, Baron!" Desperation on her voice. Naomi reached over for him, and instead of backing away, he let her touch him. He knew it was a bad idea the moment he allowed it, he could already feel his walls crumbling. And coupled with her emotions and his own? It was a struggle to keep strong. "…You're not a monster. You're a man with a wolf inside of him. But you're still a man. The man I love. And I know you love me too. You won't say it but I know you do."

Of course, he does. His refusal to say it had been his own fear, this whole ordeal really. Because he knew the moment he spoke it, there would be no turning back. He watched as cautious hands moved to grip his arms, both of her hands now curling around his forearm as she pulled herself close. …There it was… that Vanilla scent of hers. He inhaled, eyes closing as he did so.

"You know I do." He murmured because there was no point in hiding it from her. He feared she might know him better than he knows himself sometimes. He was mildly impressed with how observant she was as well. He hadn't ever thought that through all that chatter, she found any time to figure him out in this subtle way too. Then again, when you loved someone, one tends to pay more attention to these things.

"Then stop fighting it. Stop fighting me. I don't need anything. All I need is you… all I want is you." Space between them continued to close. Baron wasn't quite sure if it was himself or if she had done it, but his mind was starting to silence as she consumed his senses. Was there something more than smitten? Perhaps utterly so? There had to be something stronger that could paralyze him like this; his own eyes on hers as the distance seemed to shorten as she spoke. "I know you want me too, Baron. Please, say you want me too."

His arms regained the ability to move, expecting them to create some distance but he found himself placing a hand on her cheek. Skin felt soft under his worn digits, sighing at the pressure he felt when she leaned her head into his touch. He wished he could muster the usual anger he felt at the world, could muster just a bit of that to put an ending to his selfishness, but he couldn't. She made him feel too good… she inadvertently encouraged new behaviors from him and before he knew it he was speaking again.

"I want you too." He heard a small gasp before feeling a hand place itself over his.

There was that inching forward, this time he felt his body lean down towards her. "I knew it." He could almost sense a hint of smugness… but also the sound of relief. Had she thought that maybe she had dreamed his affections? That could never be the case. He couldn't imagine someone not falling for her after spending the amount of time he's had with her. "I knew it…" Words were repeated before he felt lips on his. It was gentle, sweet and soft. He almost felt too scared to fuss it up with his rough edges, but Naomi loved those. She loved every edge of what made him, him. His heart pounded in his rib-cage, but he could also hear her heart. It almost fell into this rhythm with his. There was an explosion of sensations throughout his body, one of them being this relief… as if finally eating or drinking after days of not doing so. He was starved for her and he hadn't even know it.

It was after a few moments the pair had separated, breaths rigid and quick as foreheads leaned onto each other. Neither of them opened their eyes yet, relishing in this moment. It was after a small while that Baron had spoken up, shaky fingers pushing back a long bi-colored strand behind her ear.

And softly, nearly in an uncharacteristically timid whisper, he spoke. "…I love you too."