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A cool hand pressed to his head, brushing back his hair. Groaning, Malone opened his light blue eyes to stare at the bent over Veronica, her low cut top drawing his attention more to her than any gentleman had better look at a woman. Coughing, she gave him a splitting look before smiling at him. "How are you feeling?" she asks, wringing out a rag to touch it to his head. He grunted, trying to sit up.
"Like I usually do after a successful unconscious spell," he said, shame in his voice. Veronica sighed. She knew Malone tried valiantly to be what he wasn't, and she cared deeply for the person he really was. But he had been beaten down to many times by Marguerite for not being brave enough, and it had taken its toll.
"You were very brave and very foolish to drag behind when the compys attacked, Ned," she commented. She heard his dismal groan in answer as he shifted in the cot she had set up before the fireside. Malone cast a look down at his leg, and almost jumped, realizing he was naked, and realizing who had done so. Veronica blushed lightly at the stunned look on his face. "Come on now, I've seen you naked before," she said, voice a bit shaky. Ned shrugged, relaxing slightly.
"True. Where are those lizards now?" he asked. Veronica shushed him, and they both listened as they heard the sound of the reptiles fighting at the base of the tree. He groaned again and fell back against the cot. "This is not going to go well," he pointed out to the blonde, looking at her. She nodded, standing up to bring the boiling pot of water off the fire. Malone continued to watch her carefully, as if trying to see something.
"What?" she demanded suddenly out of the blue, and Malone quickly downcast his eyes to avoid her feeling his staring.
"Nothing. Just wondering how the others are doing," he lied, looking out at the rising sun. Veronica hid a smile, taming her blush before it could be seen. Her attraction to him hadn't diminished over the months they had remained platonic friends, and she knew he was still attracted to her. She was afraid to fall for him though, because there would come a time when he would leave the plateau, and her. For she couldn't leave her home, and they all knew that. The splashing of the hot water against her skin made her yelp with the sudden pain and she quickly poured cooler water over it. "What's wrong?" Malone called over to her, having seen her spill the hot water.
"It's nothing, I just got the water on my hand," she answered, turning around. She looked at the faint burn mark on her palm. She quickly made the herbal tea and brought it over to Malone, the scent making even her sleepy. She offered him a cup, watching like a hawk as he drank it in small amounts. He smiled at her and offered her the cup, and she took a sip, watching as he began to blink his eyes repeatedly. As she went to stand, he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down beside him. She tried to look stern, but couldn't help a smile from creeping onto her tanned features. "What are you doing?" she asked, voice very low. Malone suddenly brought her head down to his and he kissed gently. Veronica kept her smile into the kiss and returned it, pulling back when he did.
"Getting something to keep the nightmares away," he answered softly, placing his head back down on the pillow, drifting off to sleep. Veronica smiled again and brushed her lips against his again before getting up to put away the cup.
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A cool hand pressed to his head, brushing back his hair. Groaning, Malone opened his light blue eyes to stare at the bent over Veronica, her low cut top drawing his attention more to her than any gentleman had better look at a woman. Coughing, she gave him a splitting look before smiling at him. "How are you feeling?" she asks, wringing out a rag to touch it to his head. He grunted, trying to sit up.
"Like I usually do after a successful unconscious spell," he said, shame in his voice. Veronica sighed. She knew Malone tried valiantly to be what he wasn't, and she cared deeply for the person he really was. But he had been beaten down to many times by Marguerite for not being brave enough, and it had taken its toll.
"You were very brave and very foolish to drag behind when the compys attacked, Ned," she commented. She heard his dismal groan in answer as he shifted in the cot she had set up before the fireside. Malone cast a look down at his leg, and almost jumped, realizing he was naked, and realizing who had done so. Veronica blushed lightly at the stunned look on his face. "Come on now, I've seen you naked before," she said, voice a bit shaky. Ned shrugged, relaxing slightly.
"True. Where are those lizards now?" he asked. Veronica shushed him, and they both listened as they heard the sound of the reptiles fighting at the base of the tree. He groaned again and fell back against the cot. "This is not going to go well," he pointed out to the blonde, looking at her. She nodded, standing up to bring the boiling pot of water off the fire. Malone continued to watch her carefully, as if trying to see something.
"What?" she demanded suddenly out of the blue, and Malone quickly downcast his eyes to avoid her feeling his staring.
"Nothing. Just wondering how the others are doing," he lied, looking out at the rising sun. Veronica hid a smile, taming her blush before it could be seen. Her attraction to him hadn't diminished over the months they had remained platonic friends, and she knew he was still attracted to her. She was afraid to fall for him though, because there would come a time when he would leave the plateau, and her. For she couldn't leave her home, and they all knew that. The splashing of the hot water against her skin made her yelp with the sudden pain and she quickly poured cooler water over it. "What's wrong?" Malone called over to her, having seen her spill the hot water.
"It's nothing, I just got the water on my hand," she answered, turning around. She looked at the faint burn mark on her palm. She quickly made the herbal tea and brought it over to Malone, the scent making even her sleepy. She offered him a cup, watching like a hawk as he drank it in small amounts. He smiled at her and offered her the cup, and she took a sip, watching as he began to blink his eyes repeatedly. As she went to stand, he suddenly grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back down beside him. She tried to look stern, but couldn't help a smile from creeping onto her tanned features. "What are you doing?" she asked, voice very low. Malone suddenly brought her head down to his and he kissed gently. Veronica kept her smile into the kiss and returned it, pulling back when he did.
"Getting something to keep the nightmares away," he answered softly, placing his head back down on the pillow, drifting off to sleep. Veronica smiled again and brushed her lips against his again before getting up to put away the cup.
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