Veronica recovered fast, and was out in the garden the next morning.
"It's sweet, that she trusts you," Roxton said, setting out to hunt. "I know you find her a bit much, but she's had a tough life. No family, no home, running from slavers."
Veronica thought back to her own childhood and while she had spent an inordinate amount of time running from dinosaurs, she'd had a home and family, people that had loved her. People that loved her now. She nodded, and Roxton nodded, tipped his head and left the garden.
"Do you have time for a lesson?" Finn called, and Veronica groaned until Finn held up the crossbow. Veronica shifted a little more mulch, brushed off her hands and nodded. Finn's grin split her face and she sprang into the elevator.
Veronica wouldn't have agreed to crossbow lessons if she'd known it would mean Finn being pressed, barely clad, against her so thoroughly. Currently Finn had stepped back to adjust Veronica's hips, her hands rough but knowledgeable against her sides, moving her with familiarity and precision. Then Finn stepped in again, bare legs against Veronica's, the flash of belly against Veronica's back, the cotton-clad breasts against Veronica's shoulder blades. Finn's arms slid against her own, adjusting her aim, Finn's face over her shoulder, warm against Veronica's ear. She couldn't focus like this, one of Finn's hands slipping down to move one of Veronica's hips back a little, grasping the front of Veronica's hipbone, the toe of Finn's boot moving Veronica's ankles apart a little. Finn was so sure of herself like this, completely unselfconscious about the way she touched Veronica, who was rapidly overheating. Veronica's body felt as though she was enveloped entirely by Finn, and she struggled the breathe in, the scent of Finn filling her senses when she did. Lemongrass, the soap that fitted best with her natural scent.
"Do you have your aim?" Finn questioned and Veronica nodded, not sure of her aim but hoping Finn would step away if she agreed. Finn didn't, so Veronica concentrated and fired, the crossbow very different to the pistols and rifles the Victorians favoured. She struck the target and felt herself spun around into Finn's arms in celebration. Her knees were weak, and Finn managed to lift her as she spun around. Veronica was acutely aware of the coiled strength in Finn then, the power in her, but also the softness of her.
"I think that's enough for one day," Veronica said haltingly, her body wanting to push Finn away and pull Finn closer in the same moment. It was too much, too much Finn, too much physical contact with someone she'd been trying so hard not to be attracted to. Finn put her down, pouting, but didn't pull away. Her hands drifted down to Veronica's waist, thumbs soft over the protrusion of the front of her hip bones.
"But you hit it! You know how to do it, you can get better at it," Finn said, pulling away. Veronica gave a half smile but walked away.
"My head's not in the right place to be handling weapons," Veronica said shortly, and Finn nodded, respecting the unspoken rule of only handling weapons when focussed. Veronica walked away, off into the jungle.