Chapter 34, Tension relieved
"Well, that's that," Hawk said as he finished the knot on the ropes binding Loan's wrists together, "he's not getting out of this."
The Flame Kahn bent down to inspect the knots and nodded approvingly.
"This will indeed keep him bound…"
He straightened up and turned to the elderly woman owning the shop above the room the freed desert warriors hired.
"Don't you worry," the Kahn continued with a determined frown, "we'll guard him. I swear that he will not harm anyone in this house or village."
After a moment the woman nodded.
"I trust you that much, Kahn," she gravely said.
"Thank you."
The gray-bearded man turned to Lise and Kevin.
"And thank you too for helping Hawk get to the stone. How's your back?"
"No worry," Kevin mildly said, "Wisp heal me."
"It was no problem at all," Lise reassured.
"A picnic thanks to you," Hawk said with a wide smile, "you two go and rest up some, we'll hold the ground here. We'll check out Navarre tomorrow night."
"Alright, good night."
The couple walked up the stair and exited the shop. The air was still chilly as it hardly was midnight; the trip had gone quick and almost completely painless.
Lise stopped as they approached the inn, looking up at the star filled sky.
"If the rest of the way only was just as simple…" she murmured, suddenly feeling tired again.
"Will be alright," Kevin promised in a low voice, placing a hand on her shoulder.
She managed to smile rather unforced and nodded.
"I hope so, Kevin."
"It will. Come on now."
A couple of fresh candles laid on the innkeeper's desk beside a lit one in a small holder, along with a note.
I hope things went well. Sadly, I have work to do so I'll have to hear the story tomorrow. Here are candles for your room, if you want some food I left bread and fruit on the table.
Rest well,
Bren, innkeeper
"I'll get the food," Kevin kindly said and went over to the kitchen area.
"Alright," Lise absentmindedly replied, holding one of the candle's thread into the small flame of the halfway burnt down one.
When her own candle caught a flame she blew out the one on the table for safety purposes, waiting for Kevin to come back so that he wouldn't have to find his way in the dusk. Together they went through the short corridor to their room.
Lise fastened the burning candle in one of the holders on the wall, lit the second one and went to put it in the other metal grip. Kevin placed the plate with bread and cactus fruits on the bed they had used when sleeping during the last day. As she had finished her simple chore Lise worked her way out of her armor before she sat down on the other side of the food and took a green fruit.
"Any idea where Karl is?" she asked, as she was free of her equipment and got something refreshing into her mouth feeling energized again.
Kevin swallowed his own bite of the sweet, big berry before he replied with a smile:
"Felt his smell everywhere out there, he's been around. Went back to the birds I think, tired after exploring."
Lise chuckled a bit, softly. The thought of Karl, that being of curiosity, innocence and cuteness running around Deen investigating everything made her smile. Kevin's own smile widened a bit as he saw hers, warmly.
'I'm glad she's feeling better again. I get worried when she seems tired, she might need more rest…'
He swallowed the sweet lump in his mouth and looked down at the fruit in his hand, somehow forcing his gaze to stay there.
'… Goddess, she's beautiful when she smiles…'
They finished the rest of the simple meal in silence, and Kevin went to put the plate back on the table.
When he returned he found Lise digging around in her backpack, her back turned to him now. Her packing had been on the other side of the bed so she had simply moved over. She looked around with a slightly embarrassed look.
"I'm not good at sewing but I know a little," she said once more, excusing the result before she even had started, "I'll do what I can."
"Will be fine, I'm sure," Kevin mildly said, reaching up to hold the right shoulder of the torn, open shirt in place so he could pull the corresponding arm through it.
It was instinctual as he was reminded of that she'd promised to try mending his broken cloth; not before Lise quickly looked down at her backpack again he did realize what he was doing. He momentarily closed his eyes and slowly let out a deep breath. Then he fulfilled taking off his shirt and walked over to the bed, carefully placing the piece of cloth beside Lise. She moved her head a little but didn't look around, almost as if she struggled with herself.
"Here…" she mumbled, lifting a small, secure yarn of thin thread out of the backpack's depths.
A needle was safely plunged into the tiny ball, now she pulled it free. Reaching out for a moment she grabbed the shirt and dragged it to her lap, still not turning around.
Kevin silently watched her as she crossed her legs and pulled out a longer string from the yarn, biting it off from the larger mass at a good length. It took her a couple of tries to get the end of the thread through the eye of the needle, but she managed.
Watching her move in the candlelight was even more irresistible than usual.
'Stop that!' Kevin snarled in his thoughts, mentally slapping himself, 'cool it down you idiot! I'll make her nervous if I keep staring like this!'
Silently letting out another deep breath he sat down on the side of the bed, just behind her back. The sheets below him were still warm since Lise had been sitting there just a couple of minutes ago.
'Calm down. So I'm not wearing a shirt, it's not like that's that vital.'
He bent aside and pulled up his legs, lying down on his back without touching Lise in the process, nor as it was completed. And there he forced himself to close his eyes, focusing on his breathing to relax.
'He must be feeling embarrassed…' Lise thought, clenching her teeth against another blush, 'just like me. Well, at least I'm not lonely… don't look around! I'd just embarrass both of us more.'
She fixed her eyes on the shirt she held, the cloth folded in her hand so that she'd get a proper grip of the major tear. There were more cuts on the piece of clothing; Kevin only had two to change between and they had both gone through some hardships. They could both use some repair, just like the pants he had worn when fighting the demons…
Lise swallowed forcefully and tried to refocus.
Slowly and inexperienced the needle penetrated the cloth, warily the thread pulled the two sides of the tear against each other. This was men's work in her world, but even the female warriors had to know at least a little about taking care of their own equipment. However the princess never had had much time for that, with all her responsibilities. The chosen ones and the ones she had gotten with the title.
'Was I ever happy?'
The thought popped out of nowhere and her hand paused, the needle twisting between her fingers.
'All that hard work, taking care of Elliot, leading the army, all the training, the practice in other matters… but I had my family, my friends…'
Her head dropped a little.
'Why would I wonder about that now… is it Kevin making me question how I lived? He lived free in the Moonlight forest, not at all like I did… will he even like living in Rolante with me, after all?'
Doubts… but?!
'No, don't think like that!' Lise snarled to herself, but most importantly to a persistent sense of hers, 'he'd tell me if something was wrong, he always wants me to be openhearted if I feel something isn't right.'
'Alright, alright!' Duty growled, 'just no anger or gloom now, he'll feel the smell of it and start asking. You don't want to worry him, do you? Focus on the work!'
'Of course I don't want to worry him…' Lise thought and pushed the needle into the cloth again.
It took her a few moments before she realized that Duty had feared that Kevin would touch her.
'Why you…!?'
'It's dangerous and you know it!'
Lise suppressed another blush by swallowing again. Something within her felt ice cold and burning at the same time; a tiny sparkle. It felt almost like the rush of grim excitement in battle, but softer.
Gently her mind brought up memories of Kevin's hand warming her shoulder through the tunic, but her brain carefully left it like that. Almost as if it was scheming against her sense of Duty.
'No, no, no and no!' the defendant screeched.
'Will you shut up just for once?' Lise snarled within, 'you're nothing but all my worries about everything, my non-compulsory worries that only stress me!'
Her hands clenched around the shirt in frustration.
'I was always stressed, I could never calm down, there was always something I had to do!' she bitterly thought, 'but no one was pressing me except myself. Kevin is the only one I know who can make me feel relaxed and truly alright, you're not pushing me away from him now, not ever!'
'But I…'
'All you do is making me want him even more,' Lise thought with an inner, wry smirk, 'because I really hate you. Shut up!'
She released a quick breath and released the shirt a bit again, trying to get back to sewing. It took her a couple of minutes to regain full focus, somewhere along the way concluding that Kevin must have fallen asleep as he hadn't reacted on that whirl of frustrated feelings. She felt much calmer than before as things settled within her.
Lise slowly kept working, but after ten minutes she felt she hadn't really gotten anywhere as she was concentrating so hard on making the sewing look decent that it slowed her down. With a faint sigh she lowered the shirt, fastening the needle in the cloth. Before she had time to realize what she was doing she looked around at Kevin. And got stuck like that.
Because of the natural warmth during day he hadn't bothered putting on his hat ever since they had arrived in the desert, so his mane spread out over the pillow beneath him free of even that small bound. He had placed one hand under his head, looking so peaceful as he laid there in light slumber. It was surely just a quick nap; it wasn't that long ago that he had slept well.
As if forced Lise's eyes continued down his neck to his chest. She cringed a bit.
The candlelight flickered, adding an outer glow to Kevin's skin. High lightening the four scars on his chest; bigger mirrors of the ones on his back.
The goddess knew how many scars he'd have if Rakadra's magic had left any…
All that pain she knew he'd gone through made her throat go dry.
'You shouldn't have had to take it, Kevin… it's not fair. You never deserved any of it.'
Lise looked down at the shirt for a moment, then reached out and put it on the small bed table beside the headrest. Without any real thoughts in her mind she pulled up her feet from the floor and sat down on her knees alongside Kevin.
Slowly, tentatively she raised a hand.
'Stop that!' Duty shouted in despair.
Lise pushed it aside and only worry of the new experience made her movements a little bit nervous. Because, at the same time that she wanted to touch him she didn't want to disrupt his slumber. He needed his rest as much as anyone…
'You're just a bit nervy,' something else than Duty mildly commented.
'I don't know what I'm doing… should I really do this…?'
'Does it feel wrong?'
'… Not really.'
'Fine then.'
'But I don't want to wake him up, he's sleeping.'
'Shh… don't worry.'
As light as a breath Lise's fingertips caressed the four tears on Kevin's reddish skin, biting her lower lip against the emotion stirring inside her at the touch.
'Wish I could make that undone…'
The surprisingly little hair on his chest tenderly tickled her fingers as she removed her hand, almost as if they were trying to keep her there.
She put the hand down on the mattress, closing her eyes.
'I… I shouldn't feel like this,' she repeated to herself again, 'it's too early…'
'Everything's fine,' the soft, encouraging voice whispered.
'But I really… I don't know. I can't go on like this, being so hesitant.'
'Then just open your eyes and look up.'
She obeyed, slowly, almost afraid of what she'd see.
Kevin watched her.
Apart from that his eyes were opened, he hadn't moved at all.
Those golden diamonds almost seemed to glow in the candlelight.
"I didn't mean to wake you up," Lise said in a low mumbling, surprised that her voice stayed fairly well in place all the way.
"Is alright."
They watched each other for a moment.
'What am I doing?' Lise thought as she moved, knowing the answer already but still.
'You're lying down,' the friendly voice replied, almost warmly amused.
Kevin moved over on his side as Lise stretched out beside him. His right arm was mostly locked under him in that position, and he prodded himself up on it to be able to see the princess properly. She looked back at him, seeming almost nervous.
He couldn't really place her smell either but… there was something calling out to him.
The sad happiness flared up within him, with tenderness craving him to do something. Yet again…
'Did she really touch me or did I just dream that…?'
Lise managed not to bite her lower lip again, her eyes locked on Kevin's. Duty was tied up and gagged by the rest of her before it had time to even try piping up.
'What'll happen… I need to know,' she thought, feeling somewhat helpless about the situation.
But there was no reply this time.
Kevin seemed to watch her for an eternity, softly and yet… there seemed to be a struggle within him, in the back of his gaze there was pained hesitation.
"Kevin, I…"
She tried to speak but didn't know what to say, and this time the voice failed her.
In the corner of her eye she thought she saw his left hand hesitantly rise and fall back; not sure what he dared to do in this moment.
He closed his eyes with a frown, and she looked away as her gaze was freed.
'I went too far…'
"Lise…"
Kevin's voice was a little hoarse. Almost warily she turned back at him, just to be captured by his tender animal eyes again.
"Hmm?" she managed to whisper, her hands nervously clenching.
A new frown disrupted his forehead again as he hesitated for a moment.
"I'd… like to kiss you," he finally whispered, "gah, but don't know what would happen if I did."
Almost shivering Lise reached up and touched his cheek with her fingertips, then put her whole palm down as he slowly leaned into her touch.
"I don't know either," she mumbled, slightly stuttering, "but I think… I… wouldn't want you to stop."
His big, warm hand came to her cheek and she closed her eyes, trying not to shudder. Whatever made it so; the touch felt different than she had been used to. Now his smooth fingers sent sparks through her skin, down her spine and ignited that cold, red hot flaring in her stomach. It was growing, fondly filling her chest as well.
She heard and felt him move, opening her eyes to find Kevin's face just inches from hers.
"Kev…"
The rest of his name went lost in his lips. Just a tentative touch at first, almost like the very first one. But as Lise's emotions exploded free from their bounds, released by that light caress, she responded to his movements and at the same time buried her hands in his hair. Kevin let out something that almost sounded like a low growl, but Lise's head was too quickly clouding up to wonder if that was the product of his own forcefully suppressed wishes being set free.
Slowly he straightened up, carrying her with him as if she didn't weigh anything at all. Still supporting her with one palm against the back of Lise's head he kept stroking her lips with his own, but his other hand left her back and went away. She heard him shuffle with something behind her but didn't care that much. Not until Kevin broke the kiss and carefully laid her back, then Lise realized that he had been placing the two thin pillows upon each other to make one thicker; more comfortable for her to rest her head on.
The simple thoughtfulness almost brought tears to her eyes, watching Kevin a bit calmer again as she worked on regaining her breath after the intense kissing. He was breathing rather heavily as well.
Slowly he bent his neck, gently resting his forehead against hers. Lise found herself smiling warmly, a bit to her surprise. The anxiety she had felt earlier and seen in the half blood's eyes was melting away rapidly.
"Know, haven't done this before," Kevin whispered.
"I know, me neither," the princess gently mumbled back.
He tilted his head a bit, gravely watching her.
"I'm afraid to do something wrong," he admitted in a low voice.
"You won't, I'm sure of that."
Each breath he took filled him with her suddenly almost intoxicating smell, the battle between his tender want that only grew with every movement any of them did and the worry that still lingered within him thundered in the back of his head.
"You're always careful," Lise reassured him, hands slowly caressing their way over his bare back comforting his concerns further like her words, "then you can do nothing wrong."
Before he had time to air yet another doubt she continued:
"And I can't get pregnant. Wisp shocked me when he said he wanted to cast a spell preventing it but he made me see the possibility that this could happen."
She was amazed herself that she had grown so relaxed after the tension was torn apart.
Kevin slowly nodded.
"But you still tell," he mumbled, tenderly smiling a bit.
"Of course. Don't worry…"
She moved a hand to his shoulder and lightly pushed, guiding him to her mouth again. This time she parted her lips a bit more than usual, showing that he could deepen their kisses further if he wanted to.
It will be fine, as long as you're with me.