Disclaimer: this is my I-don't-own-it face and, yes, it does look a lot like my sad-face

Teaser: a love story told in blips

Author's Notes: I've decided that this is the last installment. XD But, in my opinion, I held out the best drabbles for last since they're very fluffy and sappy and happily-ever-after-ish. So enjoy!


o015. Touch

the first time Ilyana dares to touch the Swordmaster who's been beside her is when he's asleep.

It's because he looks so peaceful, she tells herself on a blush. She's just curious because all the battle-hardness has faded with his resting.

Her fingertips skim just slightly over his cheekbones, butterfly soft. Still Zihark gives a low mumble and Ilyana stills, wondering if she is about to be, yet again, thrust into a rather embarrassing situation.

But she isn't. Zihark doesn't wake up.

Expelling a breath, Ilyana nearly pulls her hand away. Except, she's still curious. Zihark's skin is smooth—which is surprising, since she knows his hands are rough and battle-ready—and she finds herself fascinated by the contrast.

And his lips… well, Ilyana can't seem to stop herself. She runs one finger over them, watching the movement in helpless enthrallment. Soft, is what she thinks and nearly leans down to see what they'd feel like against her lips.

Hastily, drawing in a steadying breath, Ilyana leans away and cautiously moves her hand slowly up. She's lucky enough she hasn't been caught in her exploration of the smooth plains of Zihark's face. Imagine if I had!

Just as she thinks this a hand snakes around her wrist and holds her taut. Ilyana's scream of surprise lodges in her throat.

Zihark isn't asleep. He's awake and his arresting blue eyes are boring right into hers.

"Is that all you're going to do?" he demands, sounding almost frustrated.

He gives her wrists one tug and has her sprawling out on top of him. Then Zihark fists a hand in her hair and lowers her mouth to his.

Ilyana gets a taste of Zihark's lips anyway.

o044. Heaven

Zihark isn't a man who can claim he has much hold in religion. Fate? Yes. God? No. He prefers to rely on his sword as his supreme power and, as cynical as that seems, it's what keeps him alive as he travels.

But if there is such a place as heaven it's right here.

It's just a small patch of land on a rocky coast of Crimea. It's just an abandoned farm squished into the rocks, overgrown with colorful wildflowers and tasting of sea and salt. It only has three rooms and a kitchen—the former farms were no rich here—and made of a too thin wood and thatch.

Ilyana is curled wonderfully naked against Zihark's side and he doesn't want to go anywhere, even as a small storm rocks the house back and forth.

The idea of going back to the place she had been born hadn't sat well with Zihark. Ilyana had already admitted her parents were dead and he didn't want her reliving those hard memories. And he was keen to head out to Daein.

She had wanted to say goodbye, though, so he had taken her here.

Now the house that he originally saw as meager, bare, and depressing is like Camelot and he has just made love on the Round Table. There is a serviceable bed here and the waves crashing against the rocks are their own music and it is the perfect setting for an impromptu mating.

Smiling at the thought, Zihark shifts over Ilyana and awakens her with a few good kisses. Ilyana, more than eager, arches against him, moaning.

There may be no God, but Zihark has just found his own patch of heaven in a rundown farm in the middle of nowhere.



note:
awe, now we're all done. Oh, I had fun with these. So little is said about anyone in PoR other than Ike, Elincia and the few others that we have so much to go with personality wise. Yay!

reviews

Story Weaver1: well, it depends on how you view tragedy. Oh, hell, I'm in A.P. mode and was about to give you a compare and contrast essay on tragedy in literature. God, help me…

crazymark: yeah, I should have made them separate paragraphs. But something about continues one-line paragraphs makes my brain meltdown violently. Rocking with tremors makes me think of the X-Men…

drunkdragon: yeah, I guess it was confusing since no one is using my brain to read. So, basically, Ilyana was in that fight and the Warrior hit her stomach first. Then he went to finish her off and Zihark stepped in. Ilyana got the wound from the first hit. Help? XD