Emery ran her fingers along the mark behind Roman's ear. It started at his neck upwards disappearing into his hair line.
"They're beautiful you know." She spoke softly, a little over a whisper really, but they were stood close enough that Roman would have heard the faintest of sighs escape her lips.
Lips that were now pressed against the mark. She trailed feather light kisses over where her fingers had been.
She pulled back to admire his markings again. They were so perfect in that imperfect way nature is. Individual but at the same time they united the Atrians marking them out from the humans.
Showing them to be something more, something grater, but not necessarily something better.
Emery remembered what his marks had looked like all those years ago. They'd only been little then but you never forgot you're first sighting of a new species.
His markings had been smaller and less obvious back then. Roman could've even passed for human, with his shirt on at least.
Emery looked at the expanse of smooth toned skin beneath her hands. Shirt off was definitely better.
She continued to trail the patterns of the marks, aver his chest, his sides, his neck.
Roman relaxed into the touch enjoying the feel of her soft touch. After a moment he took hold of her wrist pausing it's movement.
"I want to show you something." He spoke in the same tone as she had.
He led her to the bath room and turned the tap on letting the water flow down the plughole. He moved her wrist which he was still holding and placed it under the faucet.
Emery didn't question him. She'd learnt that sometimes Roman was better at explaining things without words.
He brought her hand back to the mark she'd been tracing. As soon as her wet finger touched skin the mark flared a right blue.
Surprised she drew her hand back and, when realising nothing was wrong, tentatively returned it.
She drew patterns in his skin. The blue light fading like a sparkler when she moved on.
Reaching his face she ceased her movement choosing instead to cup Roman's jaw. They leaned in reducing the small space between them to nothing.
And to say fireworks flew may be a bit inaccurate, but Emery didn't know the technical term for the blue sparks and Roman's mouth was too busy to enlighten her.