Chapter 7

He lay beside her in the bed, sheets rumpled and nested around them….Casnar was studying the ceilings, "….Did you do all that?…." Braith turned her face towards his to look at him….Casnar brought his gaze down and turned his face to look at hers.

"Yep, that's my work….We should get dressed."

He returned his gaze to the ceiling, "….What inspired it?"

"I don't know….Dreams."

"It's rather detailed," he pursed his lips.

She rose on her side of the bed, "….I need to go to Verne's and meet with Kaidan…." Casnar arose as well, and sought his clothing and boots….He turned as she handed to him his overalls and shirt, "….I like the look," she saw him smile at this teasing compliment, "….I don't see overalls on Drells so often."

"It's easy to pull on," he enjoyed seeing her smile as she did just then, "…..I used to have to wear more than this," and he chuckled as he separated the dirty clothes to put on….He noticed she was studying him with more scrutiny from her eyes, "….What, did I say something in that—"

"I know I've seen you for years, here, but until now, not once did I think you reminded me of someone I used to know…." She said nothing more, only shaking her head slightly as she began looking for her pants and underwear.

"You don't typically say that to a drell," he was waiting, "….We're spread from Kahje and Rakhana since multiple events pertaining to both worlds, not to mention the recent war, but we don't all flock together like birds of one species….It would be very unique if you thought I resembled someone—"

"You don't," she changed up, cross and abruptly, "….Two different Drells entirely, just….forget I mentioned it."

He shrugged off her tone, thinking it had something to do with her deceased husband, "….I meant it's not likely you'll see many of us, Drells, unless you go to Kahje….or Rakhana."

"You from both I take it?" A nod, "….If you chose one of the two to call home, which one would that be?"

He hesitated, "….Not Kahje."

"What type of answer is that," she straightened from gathering her clothes, "….You mean Rakhana is home?"

"I was born on Rakhana….I guess, yes, it's where I'm from—"

"But where's home to you?"

His golden shoulders shrugged with the tightening of his traps, his violet and silver tebris parting the folds a little with the motion affecting the muscles of his neck and chest, "….Home is not something I associate myself with having a clear sense of…." He watched her pull up the underwear.

….Sounds like somebody's running.

Casnar waited to see if she would ask more and pry, he not providing more information than what he'd declared.

"So, Casnar," she had moved on, not interested in prying like he thought, and she started to put her legs into jeans, "….you going to brag now you've nailed the 'old lady' in her house?"

He stopped just as he was about to put his arms through his shirtsleeves, "….Why would I do that?"

Braith shrugged, breasts shivering slightly with the movement, "….Everybody probably will know anyway."

He dressed in his shirt and finished closing his overalls before stepping around the bed to her, "….I'm not going to say a word to anyone," he thumbed behind him at the bed, "….What we've done there, that's not anyone's business—Besides yours and mine…." She looked into his eyes from rolling her shirt to put on easily….He was waiting for her gaze.

"Cool."

He grabbed his cap and boots, and waited at the staircase for her to finish dressing.…As she tied on her boots, he added his own to his feet and did the same.

They went down the stairs, he first, "….You good to walk to Verne's?"

"Yeah," she passed him as he had stopped to turn to her coming down the staircase behind him, Casnar having stepped into the hallway once again, and she went towards the door at the other end of it.

"I can get a car if you'd prefer."

"Stop treating me as some—"

"Invalid?…." She stopped and looked back at him as he walked to meet her in the hallway, turning as he confronted her, "….What we just did upstairs doesn't strike me as what someone who could be considered an 'Invalid' would be capable of doing."

"Invalid was not the word I was going to use," she smiled….He waited, seeing what he could read from her body language, and her expression was open, so he leaned forward and kissed her.

Her lips parted to let him, and she kissed back.

"I'm happy we finally did this."

He hummed, knocking his brow scale against her forehead gently as they inhaled each other's scents together.

He moved her on, towards the door.…His fingers brushed her hair back from her cheek, "….I'm going to let you have the lead here," he sniffed, caressing her jaw then with his knuckle, "….We go to Verne's, I'll sit at my table—alone—so you can have your 'talk' with your friend….You sure he's still a friend?"

"I said nothing's for sure, didn't I?….Something like that," his hands moved to her waist as he stepped her backwards until she was against the door, his fingers kneading slow and warm into her back as his green gaze swallowed hers….She reached around her sides to take his hands and hold these before her pants' buckle.

"Some things are," his voice was low, "….Can't they be….I'm sure about you," his eyes dominated hers, "….Braith Shepard."

"Casnar….I don't know your family name…." His hands moved up the hem of her shirt, heat from his fingers whispering on her skin, and she sighed as he leaned in once more to touch his lips to hers as she leaned back against the front door.

"Soterios…." He let the name slip out, between turning his mouth to kiss her again and again.

"Sotuhrius, then."

"So-tehr-eos."

She opened her eyes from having closed these, "….This going to be a Speech lesson in Drell name pronunciation and articulation of syllables?…." He grinned and pulled her away from the door, leading her down the hallway to a couch he remembered in the other room.

"It's not quite close to seven yet," he tugged her in after him, and pushed her down onto the couch, Braith smiling up at him with a raised eyebrow as each of the overall-clips came off, one by one, "….and there's plenty of time to teach that tongue of yours how to say my name right."