Soul of Fire
Isaac leaned against the railing, a splash of burgundy in a sea of bland colors, looking out at the ships moving in and out of the docking bays. She watched him through the crowd, the scents of a thousand different perfumes and the sounds of countless voices overwhelming her senses, an avalanche of stimuli after the quiet, calm of Kahje. She realized a part of her missed the energy of so much activity, but a much larger part missed the stillness of waking up in Thane's arms. It took only a second before Isaac glanced up, meeting her gaze, but then he turned his attention back out to the air traffic. Smirking, she made her way through the throng of people coming and going and stopped a meter away. He turned his head to look at Jasmine when she set her bags down, and she turned to lean back against the railing.
"You ready to get to work?" He flipped around, mirroring her posture.
"Where do we start?" Her gaze roamed the length of the long-limbed man standing next to her, taking in his rather conspicuous, wine-colored suit. The lapels were wide and flashy, and a crisp, white shirt showed underneath, contrasting nicely against his dark complexion. "You always dress like that?"
He cocked an eyebrow at her. "What's wrong with how I dress?" He pushed off the railing, hands raised to the side, and tucked his elbows in against him as he spun. Stopping, he pinched the lapels between thumb and forefinger, sliding his fingers down and then off the edge of the fabric with a flick of his wrist. "I look good."
She laughed, letting her head loll back on her shoulders before turning her attention back to him, finding him grinning. "What?"
"Nothing." He reached out, gripping the rail with one hand, his stance tilted as he leaned his weight to the side, one ankle crossed over the other. Tucking his other hand into his pants pocket, he shrugged. "Just wasn't sure if you were capable of laughter."
She snorted and rolled her eyes. "We met once. For like five minutes. You don't know me."
"You're right, I don't." He pushed away from the railing again, opening his omni-tool. "That's why we're here. I'm sending you some information you'll need on the Citadel, you can look over it later, and your omni-tool will now register as belonging to Ramona Salazar." Closing the omni-tool, he gestured at her bags. "May I?" He picked up the larger of her bags when she nodded—the one carrying her gun case, among other things—and slung it over his shoulder. "I've already set you up with an apartment. I'll be next door."
Jasmine pursed her lips. She didn't know how she felt about him taking the liberty to rent her an apartment. she liked to find her own places, check the building out before deciding. She picked up the other bag, holding it out to him. "Trade me."
He glanced down at the bag before meeting her gaze again, giving her a knowing look. "You know, this trust thing has to start somewhere." But he slid the bag from his shoulder, making the switch with her.
She turned her gaze to the bag, pulling the strap up over her shoulder before grazing the canvas with her fingertips, an almost loving stroke. She knew he thought her reluctance revolved around letting someone else carry her rifle—the weight of the bag and how it shifted would've been obvious to him the second he picked it up if he was as good as she thought—but the rifle only counted for half her reasons. The other half laid in the straw colored shirt snuggled in next to her sniper rifle's case. Thane's shirt. She'd secreted it away the morning she left, leaving her panties in its place, tucked inside his overnight bag.
She shrugged and offered Isaac an apologetic smile. "Yeah, just … maybe not there."
Jasmine stepped into the apartment, acutely aware of the man standing behind her. A deadly man she knew she needed to learn to trust, but after Leon …. "Come in, if you want." She made her way into the living room, dropping her bag on the couch before turning to watch him cross the threshold.
He tugged the bag from his shoulder and glanced around. "Where do you want this?"
She waved at the overstuffed cushion of the couch before wandering through the apartment. Far nicer than the ones she normally rented for herself, it came with a full kitchen and dining area, a large bedroom with a master bath, and a smaller guest room—all furnished, of course. Paintings decorated the walls, metal filagree lined the trim on the walls and around the fireplace. She'd seen the Tiberius Towers before, but she'd never been inside. Surprisingly, her work rarely brought her to the flash and dazzle of Silversun Strip.
He better not expect me to pay for this place.
Isaac stood next to the couch, watching her as she moved from room to room. "I've already swept for cameras and listening devices, but I'm guessing you'll want to do it again anyway."
"Well, I wanted to be polite and not do it in front of you, but …." She pursed her lips, opening her omni-tool and activating her Alliance regulation espionage detection system.
He chuckled, giving his head a little shake. "Mind if I sit down?"
"Go ahead." She walked over to the couch, scooping up her bags to clear the way, and then headed back to her new bedroom, running the scanner as she went. After setting the bags on the bed, she took her time going over every centimeter, including the master bath, and closet. "This place is pretty nice," she called out, turning off the lights as she left the room and headed down the hall to the guest bedroom.
"Glad you think so, it's home for the next few weeks."
"Few weeks?" She opened the closet for the guest bedroom, running her omni-tool through the empty space. "Leon had me change places every couple of weeks at the most."
"I'm not Leon," Isaac said, his voice coming from far closer than she expected.
She glanced over her shoulder, not nearly as startled by his sudden presence in the doorway after having spent a month with Thane around the clock, but still it made her hackles rise. "No. No, you're not." She closed the closet, making her way around the room, scanning the furniture and walls, casting the occasional glance his way. "Did you know him?"
"I met him once. Good looking white boy, muscles for days, and mmm, those eyes of his." He chuckled. "I can see why you went for him."
Turning to face him, a smirk settled over her face, and she raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't bad in bed, either. But he was an asshole, through and through." She swallowed against the sudden knot in her throat and turned away, continuing her scan of the room. "He was there, though, when I needed him."
"Shepard." He paused, until she looked at him. "What you did … you made the right choice. Now, I know that doesn't make it any easier, but you've got to figure out how to let it go. Let him go."
She closed her omni-tool. "I'll finish the sweep later. I'm hungry, so unless you've stocked the fridge, too …."
He smiled, holding his palms up and out toward her in surrender. "Alright. Alright, we don't start there, either. So you tell me, then. Where do we start?"
"Le Bleu," she said with a shrug.
"Le Bleu?" His eyebrows dipped before arching in understanding. "The dive in the Bachjret Ward?"
Jasmine smirked, raising an eyebrow of her own. "Watch yourself, those are fightin' words."
He laughed, the sound full-bodied and rich, bringing a lazy smile to her face. "That so?"
A part of her was afraid to admit it, but he really did seem like a nice guy. She felt grateful toward the man for getting her out of her cell back on Earth, but she didn't want it to cloud her judgement, either. She remembered a time, before all the shit with Leon, she wouldn't have thought twice about it. They assigned him as her handler and it would've been good enough for her. Since Leon … well, she guessed she'd figure out soon enough whether or not Isaac could be trusted.
"Yep." She crossed her arms over her chest, resting her weight on one hip. "I've given them enough credits, I could probably get a discount if I asked."
He bobbed his head, the same little dance to a tune only he heard just as he did when they first met. "Alright, Le Bleu it is."
She pointed at him from beneath her crossed arms. "You're buying."
"I'm buying," he said with a nod.
"Good." Grinning, she moved toward him and the door. "Let's go, bossman."
Jasmine picked up a fry, pausing with it halfway to her mouth. "Where are you from?" Her stomach grumbled as she caught a whiff of the fried delight, taste buds longing for something greasy and fattening after her time spent on Kahje. She popped it in her mouth, fighting back the urge to moan as the salt and oil hit her tongue.
"Earth—Seattle." He cut into his steak. "You?"
She finished chewing, buying herself time to study his face, trying to ferret out whether or not he meant to toy with her. "You didn't read my file?"
"No, I prefer to get to know you in person." He met her gaze and lifted a shoulder, letting it drop again before bringing his fork to his mouth. "I might read it later, if I feel there's a need." Putting the steak in his mouth, he chewed twice before the corners of his mouth turned down and he nodded. "Not bad."
As far as she could tell, he told the truth, but then again, if she saw any sign of a lie, he'd be crap at his job. "I was born on Earth, spent the first part of my childhood in Corpus Christi, the last bit in Santa Fe."
He swallowed, chasing it with a drink of iced tea. "Yeah?" Turning his attention back to his plate, he cut another piece. "Where'd you like living better?"
She shrugged, unwilling to examine her opinion on the subject too closely. "I spent most of my time in Santa Fe on the streets."
But I found my mother dead in a puddle of her own blood in Corpus Christi. Both places were shit.
Isaac paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. "How'd that happen?"
She stalled, shoving another fry in her mouth, chewing and swallowing it before answering. "Parents died when I was young. Didn't like the foster system." She shrugged again, hoping the simple answer might be enough for him. "So I left."
"Damn. Must've been rough." He stuck his fork in his mouth, watching her with a thoughtful expression as he ate. "So, how does one go from living on the streets in Santa Fe to being a Phantom?"
She sucked in a deep breath, shoulders lifting as her ribs expanded. "Some idiots decided to try and force me into their skycar a few blocks away from an Alliance recruiting office. One of the men who worked there came to help me." She fell silent a moment, gaze staring at nothing in particular as she remembered the empty look to the man's eyes, blood trickling out of the hole in his head. The man Geoffrey shot; the man she still thought of only as 'The Yankee'. "He ended up taking me in … I guess enlisting seemed like the best option when I turned eighteen."
"He adopted you?" Isaac studied her when she met his gaze again.
"No," she said, shaking her head and picking at her plate, forcing her guard down a little further. "I was seventeen and already emancipated by then. He just … let me stay with him and his family."
"Sounds like a good man."
Smiling, she picked up a french fry. "He is." Folding the fry in two, she pushed it in her mouth.
"You stay in touch with him?"
"Yep." Jasmine took a drink of her iced tea, meeting his gaze, letting the silence linger. She watched him for a moment as he dug into the baked, orange-skinned tuber—likely the same thing her fries were made from—slathered in butter, sour cream, and chives, or at least something very similar to those things. "What about your family?"
"They're still around, in Seattle. I can't say I talk to them very much, but every so often I like to surprise my mom for Christmas." He smiled and turned his attention back to his plate, waving his fork before starting to cut at his steak again. "Show up on her doorstep and demand she feed me."
She chuckled and nodded. "Sounds about right. I check in on the people who took me in from time to time. I'm usually ushered straight to the table." She hesitated a moment before adding, "I stopped by there first when you had me released."
He bobbed his head, stuffing another bite into his mouth. If he already knew she'd spent time at Geoffrey's, he gave no sign. "They doing good?"
"Yeah, yeah, they are." She smiled, thinking of Rift and how well he'd adjusted to his new family. She cleared her throat, shifting around in her chair. "So, Isaac what?"
"Winter." He glanced up, gaze suddenly serious but not unkind. "But from now on, while we're here and in public, you'll only call me Raymond Johnson, even when there's no one in earshot."
She scraped her teeth over her lip, filing away the boundary he just marked for later reference and nodded. "How about just Ray?"
He smirked, holding her gaze. "If it makes you happy." He took a sip from his glass. "Who does Ramona Salazar know on the Citadel?"
She blew out a slow breath, letting it puff out her cheeks. "Service Chief Mark Denver, Gunnery Chief Daniel Cornerstone, and Gunnery Chief Sarah Patel along with a handful of others—I can't recall their names off the top of my head—from the Alliance training facility. Private Mike Rawlins, he runs the front desk sometimes and has a thing for Ramona, or at least he did before I left." She shook her head when he raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "An asari waitress at Chora's Den named Faline. A few store and restaurant employees. That's about it." It wasn't entirely true, but she certainly held no desire to explain why she knew people who worked at the hanar clinic.
He pointed at her with his fork. "And who do you know on the Citadel?"
She watched him for a moment. "Just a few of the street kids. They know my name, and they know I'm Alliance, but they don't know what I do."
He raised an eyebrow. "No one else?"
"I don't think so." She shrugged, tilting her head toward her shoulder, giving herself an out. "The Citadel's a big place, people come and go all the time …."
"Fair enough." The twitch of the corner of his eye told her that he knew there she held something back, but he didn't push. "I'm going to introduce you to a couple of contacts I have here. You should start making your own."
She frowned, leaning back in her chair. "I—Leon discouraged me from making contacts outside of the Alliance."
Isaac cocked an eyebrow. "I'm not Leon." He held her gaze until she nodded, then turned his attention back to his plate. "The Alliance won't always have what you need when you need it."
Thane sat forward in his chair, palms wrapped around a warm cup of cinuela. He watched Kolyat as the boy studied the black and white, spiral pattern of the treala board. Kolyat turned the polished, blue stone over in his fingers before placing it within his uncle's territory—a poor move, by Thane's understanding of the asari game. Rone hummed, picking up his own stone, taking the opening Kolyat gave him, and placed his marker near the center of the spiral—two moves away from winning.
Kolyat groaned, earning him a chuckle from both men. "I concede. It is nearly time for bed anyway." He pushed his chair out from the table and stood, turning to look at Thane. "I would like to see you tomorrow, after school, Father."
Setting his cup on the table, Thane stood and opened his arms to his son. "If I am feeling well enough after my treatment, and your uncle and aunt permit, perhaps we can go to dinner together, just the two of us." He pulled Kolyat to him when the boy stepped into his embrace. Kissing the top of Kolyat's head, he smiled at the soft grumble of rebuke.
"So long as he is home in time to complete his lessons, I see no problem with this." Rone began collecting the pieces of the treala game and putting them away in the case. "I am sure Kelena will have no complaint, either."
Rone glanced down the hall toward his room where his wife retreated shortly after dinner, saying she wanted to relax and read for awhile before bed. Thane understood the worry passing over his brother's face, when Irikah was pregnant with Kolyat, she grew tired so easily. She'd chased him out of their room more than once when he fretted over her, telling him she was pregnant, not dying, and to leave her alone. He thought about sharing this with Rone, but he had a feeling Rone understood perfectly well his wife's condition was normal, it just did little to soothe the concern.
Kolyat pulled away and dipped his head to Rone. "Thank you, Uncle." Turning back to Thane, he smiled. "Goodnight, Father."
"Goodnight, my son. Sleep well." Thane patted Kolyat's shoulder before picking up his cup. He swallowed the rest of his cinuela before taking the empty cup to the kitchen. On his way back to the dining room, he tucked his hands behind his back, prepared to tell Rone goodbye and take his leave, but Rone stopped him with a weighted glance.
"It would please me if you would stay a moment longer, Brother. I wish to speak with you." Rone turned, setting the treala box on the shelf behind the table.
"As you wish." Thane glanced over his shoulder, seeing Kolyat step into his bedroom, the door closing behind him. Resting his hands on the back of a chair, Thane watched Rone, waiting to see if he'd be asked to sit again.
Turning back around, Rone waved at the chair before sitting himself. "Thank you." He waited for Thane to sit and meet his gaze again before saying, "I trust your treatments are going well."
"Indeed. I suspect I will be finished within the next two or three weeks." Thane hesitated, unsure of the conversation's direction. "They have yet to give me a more specific date."
Things are going well, surely he isn't in a hurry for me to leave Kahje?
"I am pleased to hear your health is improving." Rone smiled, waving a hand in Thane's direction. "I suspect you are eager to return to your … work. I wonder if you will be spending time with your friend again once your treatments end."
Thane dipped his head, unease spreading through him, tightening the muscles along his spine despite Rone's smile. Something about the atmosphere, the particular way Rone led the conversation, made Thane feel as if something unpleasant waited around the corner. "It is my intention to spend as much time with her as possible, yes."
"Though he spent little time with her, Kolyat seems to have grown rather attached." Rone cleared his throat. "I have yet to see him take to anyone so swiftly as he did with Jasmine. I admit this troubles me." He tilted his head to the side, as if considering his next words carefully, or perhaps deciding on whether or not to speak them at all. "He spent the evening sulking after the two of you left, and he awoke in the night, screaming loud enough to wake Kelena and I. When I checked on him, he would only say it was a bad dream and apologized for disturbing us."
Rone fell quiet, looking down at his cup still on the table. Thane knew Rone needed to say something more, so he remained still and silent, focusing on keeping his breathing steady and his heart from racing. He didn't see how Jasmine leaving might cause Kolyat nightmares, sulking yes, but nightmares? It seemed apparent Rone believed it to be true, however. Fear for what it might mean for his relationship with Jasmine and with his son wrapped a fist around his throat.
"They stopped completely before you called the first time, but he had a few more before you came to Kahje." Rone returned his gaze to Thane. "This is the first he has had since the first day he saw you in the hospital, and together, you began to heal old wounds. I cannot swear the two things are connected, but it does seem to me they are."
Thane dropped his gaze to the table, throat spasming in uncertainty. He thought Jasmine and Kolyat knowing one another was a good thing, he needed it to be a good thing. He loved them both dearly, it'd tear him apart if he'd hurt Kolyat by introducing Jasmine into his life. "I—I don't know what to say. What would you ask of me, Brother?"
Arashu, give me strength.
"I would ask nothing of you. I only thought you should know." Rone folded his hands together on the table when Thane met his gaze again. "He has endured many loses, and he knows you will not long be with us. Perhaps it is simply because Jasmine's leaving reminded him of this—reminded him of what he has already lost."
Thane shifted, leaning forward to rest his elbows on the table and clasp his hands. The thudding of his heart against his sternum beginning to ease, the fingers of dread gripping his throat loosening. "He will not lose me again; I will call as often as I can and visit from time to time. The doctors say I will need to return for more treatments in the future, but I will come more often, if I'm able." He hesitated, weighing the thought out in his mind before giving it voice. "If he desires and you are amendable to the idea, I am sure Jasmine would be willing to stay in contact with him as well. He needn't feel as if he's lost her, either."
Rone dropped his gaze to his hands, and the silence stretched for nearly a minute. Finally, he looked up again. "You said she would die herself before allowing harm to come to any child. You named her a siha." Rone hummed, holding Thane's gaze, unblinking. "I pray you have judged her accurately … perhaps, if she is willing … I believe Kolyat would greatly enjoy her continued company."
Smiling, Thane dipped his head to his brother, relief and hope spreading through him. "Indeed."
"It would please me to know more, if you care to speak of her." Rone waved a hand. "Of course, I would not ask you to betray her confidence, but perhaps there are some things you might share." He smiled, seeming to relax a little, too. "Tell me, Brother, about this human who has claimed your heart."
Thane chuckled, glancing back down the hall at Kolyat's closed bedroom door. "Jasmine is … brave and cunning, stubborn and forgiving, fierce and gentle. She is …" He touched his knuckles to his lips and took a deep breath, grabbing ahold of the memory before it carried him away. "... I'd been injured—stabbed while walking the Citadel at night, trying to clear my mind of my own nightmares and dark thoughts."
Rone let out something suspiciously close to a gasp. "Arashu be praised, you lived."
Thane took another deep breath, offering his brother a wry smile. "I didn't want to live, and I very nearly died." He ignored Rone's hiss of disapproval. "As I lay dying, some of the drala'fa found me. One of my most trusted rushed to Jasmine for help, knowing I wouldn't want him to go to C-Sec. He brought her back to me while one of the other drala'fa, and asari child, attempted to stop the flow of blood. My mind slipped in and out of consciousness, my grasp on reality tenuous at best." He spread his hands before bringing them back together again. "I welcomed death, prayed for Kalahira to carry me across the sea, but Jasmine refused to allow it, even when I begged her to leave me be. It only angered her."
"I like to think of myself as a patient and understanding man," Rone said, cocking his head to the side, "but I must admit I believe I would have been angered, too."
"Indeed." Thane lowered his gaze, staring down the length of his arm. "My mind was very troubled that night, but I assure you, I'm overjoyed Kalahira didn't yet want me."
"I am curious to know what happened next." Rone dipped his head when Thane met his gaze again, encouraging Thane to continue.
"Jasmine stopped my bleeding and took me to the hanar. She stayed there with me, watching over me until I awoke. She didn't know who attacked me and worried they might come for me again. It was only a stranger, though—a man I stopped from doing harm to an asari in an alley. If not for the things haunting my mind that night, he never would've …." Thane waved his hand, refocusing his thoughts. "When the doctors and nurses fought to keep me in the hospital, she offered to return with me to my apartment and take care of me for a few days. They agreed, and she took me home. I didn't expect her to actually stay; I thought she made the offer only to placate the doctors, as a favor to me, but she insisted she intended to be there so long as I allowed."
He smiled, remembering his shock and fluster when he realized she meant to stay with him, and his hope it might mean she felt something more for him. "I would've managed without her there, but I couldn't tell her to leave, not when the idea of having her so close …. The next day I told her about Irikah's death, and she held me while I cried, shed her own tears as she shared in my grief. Then, I told her about the decision to leave Kolyat with you, told her I thought it safer for him." Letting out a bemused chuff of air as he shook his head. "She was furious with me. She raised her voice, slammed her hands on the table, paced the floor like a caged animal. She questioned me, challenged my logic, and then she left, despite my wounded state. I thought I'd lost her forever; she wasn't yet mine to lose, but my heart already belonged to her. I wouldn't have ever told her otherwise."
Rone blinked and leaned closer to Thane, understanding filling his eyes. "She convinced you of the error of your ways; this is why you called me."
"Indeed." Thane nodded. "I felt so foolish and ashamed, ignorant and selfish. She wasn't gone long before I called you."
"She has my gratitude," Rone said, dipping his head.
"Mine as well. She returned later the same night and apologized for speaking to me as she did. I told her she had nothing to apologize for, she'd spoken the truth." Thane grinned. "She said, 'Of course I'm right. Never said I was wrong, it just wasn't my place to say it, and I didn't need to be so harsh.'"
Rone chuckled. "She has a soul of fire."
"Very much so." Thane smiled, pleased by Rone's responses. "When I told her I'd reached out to you, the joy in her eyes left me breathless."
Thane stood in the middle of his floor, stretching out the pleasant burn of well-worked muscles when his omni-tool vibrated against his wrist. Opening it, he grinned, seeing the call came from Jasmine. He accepted the call, letting his gaze roam over her, drinking in the curves and planes of her face like the first mouthfuls of fresh water after a long day surrounded by nothing but sea.
Rainforest eyes shining in the light, she smiled, settling back against her pillows. "Hi."
"Hello." He wished he could wrap his arms around her, pull her into him, taste her lips. "I didn't think I'd hear from you again so soon."
She shrugged, the opening of his shirt she wore slouching down off her shoulder, exposing a spanse of smooth skin, nearly glowing in the soft light. "The new guy isn't so bad. He's not intrusive, put me in my own apartment." She tilted her head to the side a little. "He's next door, though." Her gaze trailed over him as he settled into a chair, a familiar heat creeping into her eyes. She hummed, her voice taking on a sultry purr as she said, "You're not wearing a shirt."
He chuckled. "Indeed, you appear to have taken it with you. An honest mistake, I'm sure."
She grinned, lifting the hem of the shirt to hold it to her face, breathing deeply. "Mhmm. It still smells like you." Mischief twitched the corner of her lip. "I think I may have left something that smells like me."
Heat rushed to his frills, remembering the delicate, lace undergarment he'd found tucked away with his things. He coughed, a light, strangled sound that brought a devious snicker from Jasmine. "Indeed, you did."
She smirked, the twinkle in her eyes growing. "But you're not wearing it, are you?"
"No," he said with an exasperated huff, shaking his head, the heat burning his face. "I am not."
Her smile faded, the playful spark fading from her eyes, voice softening as she said, "I miss you already."
Letting out a soft sigh, he closed his eyes, allowing himself feel her touch through memory alone for just a second. "And I you, siha."
"It's morning there now, isn't it?"
"It is." He opened his eyes again. "I must leave soon for my treatment, but I have time to talk. In fact, there's something I wish to speak with you about."
She squirmed in her bed, sitting up a little higher, shoving the pillows behind her back. "What's up?"
"It would seem Kolyat is …" He hesitated, not really wanting to tell her of Kolyat's nightmares. He knew if she thought as Rone did, she would be miserable, tearing herself up with blame. "... he misses you as well. I will see him this evening, and I hoped to be able to tell him you will call him. I've already spoken to his uncle, and Rone will speak to his wife. I believe it will do him some good, if you are willing to keep in contact with him, call him from time to time."
Her eyebrows twitched, but her smile returned. "Sure, I'd love to."
"Thank you, this pleases me to hear." He leaned back in his chair, feeling certain he'd made the right decision by asking her to stay a part of his son's life. "So tell me, how are things with you? Your new handler, does he treat you fairly?"
"Yeah, he's been good so far." She snorted, smiling wider. "He did give me a month with you."
"Indeed." He grinned, finding her mood infectious. "I owe him my gratitude."
"He thinks I did the right thing when I killed Leon." She let out a weary sigh, but her smile held. "Maybe the only person in the whole organization who does."
Thane hummed. "Do you trust him?"
Pursing her lips, she shook her head. "Not yet."
"Indeed." He knew it'd be difficult for her to trust her new handler. Thane hoped the man proved worthy of her trust, and she'd learn to give it to him. Afterall, her handler would be responsible for her life.
She held a hand out, palm up and shrugged. "He did buy me dinner at Le Bleu."
Thane chuckled, teasing her when he asked, "Should I be concerned?"
Snorting, she shook her head. "I'm not his type."
He raised a brow ridge, sweeping his gaze over every bit of her the camera showed him. "Then he is blind."
She laughed, the sound filling his heart with joy. "He's not blind, just gay. Either way, I only want you."
"I'm yours, siha, for as long as you'll have me." His hand twitched, wanting desperately to run his fingers along her frill-less jaw and bury them in her hair.
"Good." She lifted her chin, smile smoothing the edges of the defiant gesture. "I don't plan on letting go of you anytime soon."
He laughed, raising his brow ridge again. "I hope you don't plan on letting go of me at all."
"Indeed." She grinned and then yawned. "I need to get some sleep. I think I'll be getting my ass kicked early in the morning."
"I'm sure you won't make it easy." He smiled, dipping his head to her. "Goodnight, siha. I love you."
"Have a good day." She brought her hand to her mouth, kissing the tips of her fingers before turning her hand to him. "I love you, too."