Just a word of warning that part of the second half of this chapter falls under the mid M rating.

CHapter Four: Unbroken Choices

The resting place of every fallen Vanguard leader was in a large, elegant building stationed in the very center of the city simply known as the Temple of Leaders. It had a spacious inside, with a family of stained-glass windows that had to be replaced after the Red War, and a bit empty if one was honest. It had been built to be able to house enough guardians to last till the building was no longer needed. As it was, there was only a small number of occupants.

Coffins were set up into different areas depending on class, and then lined up in order of service. The Hunter section had the most by far, all of them either KIA or MIA and missing long enough that they were considered gone. There had been five Hunter Vanguards laid to rest here when Skylar had first been risen, but she knew all of their names. Tallulah Fairwind, Caliban-8, Aparjita-4, Kauko Swiftriver, and Andal Brask. Now - now there were six. The dark humor was not lost on her, as it lined up with the amount of reboots her lover had experienced.

The ceremony was a quiet thing, she realized, most attendees were not allowed inside the building, though a large crowd of city people and Guardians did gather outside in the fading light of the setting sun. Only those who had truly been close to Cayde were allowed in. Skylar could count the number of people the exo Had really, truly trusted off on her hands. Zavala, Ikora, Amanda, Banshee, Shiro, Shaxx, Z, Haar and… her, of course. Skylar felt like something had poured ice water into every vein in her body as she stared forward, standing between Z and Shiro, with Haar standing tall behind her. He seemed worried she might pass out at any moment. Maybe he had a right to be, Skylar hadn't really slept in days.

Every coffin had a life size bust next to it, the leader's name printed below with their class symbol and any fancy title they might have acquired. Cayde never got one, or maybe he didn't want one, even though he'd insisted on hers. It looked just like him, whoever had crafted it had gotten his swaggering grin perfectly, and had somehow captured the kind soft glow of his eyes in hard, cold marble. These were made ahead of time from what she knew, Cayde had spoken of it once and only once, because of how upsetting it had been for her to talk about.

Skylar had almost forgotten about it. Almost. She never really forgot anything.

There were no great speeches like something a Speaker of the Traveler might have done, and no one in the room wanted to hear something that sounded like it had been written anyway. Instead, each of them said one thing about Cayde-6 that always made them think of him, mementos for the dearly departed to take on to the next life.

Zavala spoke about a time he'd been dragged to a ramen shop and ended up enjoying it more than he'd ever admit.

Ikora talked about how he always tried to make her smile even at his own expense, the banter about their classes something she'd always looked forward to. She admitted, quietly, that he'd been one of her closest friends.

Amanda told a story about as a kid relearning how to walk with her prosthetic leg, she'd felt alienated and alone. When Cayde had hung out with her, one of his pant legs was always rolled up to show his own metal, mesh and wire leg. The blonde didn't make it all the way through the story without crying.

Banshee talked about the day Cayde had come into his shop, waving around the Ace of Spades and gloating about how he'd built it.

Shiro talked about the good old days: of him, Andal, Tevis, and Cayde. The Exo sounded distant, tired, because he was the only one left. His oldest friends and the love of his life - Cassidy - were all gone and Cayde had been the last. He said out of everyone, Cayde had always been the luckiest of them all and had glanced at Skylar. She knew what he was talking about and reached out with near welded tight joints to touch his hand.

Shaxx mused about a match and a curtain pair of modded pants that had gotten a certain Exo banned for months. Cayde never admitted to them being as such, just that they were lucky as hell.

Z reminded them of just how innovative Cayde had really been. He'd built and rebuilt guns from scratch, helped newbies learn how to take care of and fix their own, and always found a new way to cheat at poker. That got a few small smiles and chuckles.

Haar told them without pause that his fellow Exo had been a prime example of a Hunter. He was brave, he was fearless, and he never ran away without a comeback plan. He had been, and always would be, the Vanguard's embodiment of courage.

When it was finally Skylar's turn, her brain stopped working. There were too many things to talk about, too many memories and moments and feelings she'd known and still did. Things no one else had known. She could have talked about how much she loved him, talked about how he'd been the one along with Tevis who had made her into who she was today. She could have said a million things, but as she stared blankly ahead there was only one thing that really processed through her brain. Something she was reminded of was that pulse at her collarbone under her armor.

"He was warm," she said quietly. "He was always warm, always chasing away the cold. He said it made him feel special that he could do that for me."

It was the only thing she managed to say the entire time.

Time ticked on, and slowly people left, one, by one, till it was just her and Z. He squeezed her shoulder once and then he was gone too, leaving her to say goodbye all over again. Skylar was starting to realize she'd be saying goodbye to him for a long time yet. Walking over to the closed casket, she ran her hand carefully over his bust, drawing her fingers over the side of his horn slowly.

"Sterling gave me your message," she whispered, wondering why she couldn't get enough air into her lungs to speak normally. "I don't know whether to be angry that you made one for me or greatful that you gave me your voice when it was... when it was whole and warm." Not broken and wet and tired. "I don't… I don't know how to take most of what you said-d." Her voice cracked and her hand shook, skipping over his temple and landing on the side of his jaw.

There were no tears. The agony and the sorrow and the numbing cold was everywhere, but there were no tears. She thought there would be, but maybe she'd cried and screamed and howled enough over the last week and a half that her body couldn't make anymore tears right now. Maybe it was simply because of the finality of it all: this crypt, his resting place, the marble carving of his face. She'd never see his real one again. Tears did not even begin to express that clawing, aching, fracturing feeling in her. So instead, she dropped her hand from the statue after one more long moment and turned, sliding down the side of the tomb to sit against it, like she had countless times against Cayde's own back when he was alive.

Moments ticked by like hours as she stared at a blank wall covered in shadows, the warm amber lighting above too dull and soft to keep everything visible in the faded ending of a day. Her breath came out slowly - her back, her skin, her bones waiting, always waiting for the warmth that wouldn't come from the stone pressed to it. Her hand clawed at her chest plate, desperate for it to be gone, and after a moment, it was - Sterling doing so without a word from either of them. Her hand clutches around the last living fragment of who Cayde-6 had been.

"I gave Amanda your cloak," she told the stone, told his empty shell and the carving up on her left. "After I killed Uldren and came back, it didn't seem like something that should be buried. Shiro didn't want it, and I couldn't bear to keep it… but she took it without hesitation." The blonde had clutched it to her chest and cried harder than Skylar had ever seen. "She said she'd look after Colonel; you know how much that bird and I got along so it seemed like a better choice."

She's going down a list now, checking off things he told her about in that message. It's easier than really thinking about all those last requests and thoughts and questions. There was a lot to unpack from his final words, but she could do this much. Say what was already decided.

"I'll take care of Ace, fix it up and use it. Maybe I'll see if I can wield two hand cannons at once." She'd see if Banshee had any ideas. Taking in another slow breath, she went on. "I don't… I don't know if I can move on. Not right now. Maybe never but... I'll try. I promise I'll try. I'll try."

She swallowed hard, her throat dry and clenched as she thought over the last thing on her list, her breathing even and calm.

"I promise I'll keep your last request alive; I'll do whatever it takes to ensure it. I'll get stronger, I have to and I will." She didn't care how she did it, she'd lost too many people and she refused to lose any more. She'd finish what he started.

Her hand clutched harder at the crescent shaped amber that thrummed with his solar Light and she closed her eyes, pressing against the stone a little harder. This wasn't the last time she'd be saying goodbye to him, she knew that, but this was probably going to be the hardest one.

"I love you," she whispered. "I'll always love you, even after the sun dies Cayde. Even after every comet in the sky falls. I hope what you said is true, I hope there is something after this and if there is… I know I'll see you there. I have a lot to do though, so it might be a while. You'll wait, right?" No answer, but as Skylar opened her eyes, she had a feeling she already knew what he'd say.

She sat there a while longer after that, watching the last of the daylight fade through the colorful glass of the high windows. Then, after a long, slow breath, she stood, her hand gliding over the flat lid of the coffin.

"I'll see you again someday, I know I will."

She left without another word. She didn't look back. When she emerged out into the open once more, the area had emptied. Only the founding members of her clan remained, not even Ikora and Zavala were there. She supposed they already knew what was going to happen next. She dropped her hand from the necklace and after a moment, her armor curled back around her, and she looked to Z.

"Status?"

"Petra is waiting for us in the city, she'll give us a better debriefing once we're there." He answered evenly. Skylar nodded her head, rubbing her eyes with a thumb and finger. She turned to wave them forward before her best friend stopped her. "Before we go…" he glanced behind them at the other flanking him and then to his glost, holding up his hands. Sparks twisted the back of his shell before a bundle of something appeared in a flash of light. "You're not even wearing a cloak, can't have that. This is for you."

Brows pulling together she reached out and took it from him, letting the dark blue fabric fall to brush the ground. Her eyes caught on the five silver feathers first and then… she bit her lip, her throat closing up on her.

"We knew you wouldn't keep his cloak," Haar said after a moment, understanding comfort in those icy white eyes. "Or at least wouldn't keep wearing it. That thing has seen two Vanguards rise and fall, it needs a break." He nodded to the cloak. "So, Z and I went and talked to Eva a few days ago. We all put Glimmer towards it."

And they'd done feathers to match her armor and keep her friends alive. Five feathers, five clan mates, and something hidden within for Cayde. They knew her too well.

She saw Noble nod his head, and Shiro smiled. Corvan just cocked a brow at her, waiting for her response. Her hands clenched into the fabric as she looked back to Z who gave her a crooked smile. Warmth tickled though her, the first she'd felt in over two weeks. Stepping forward, she dropped the fabric from one hand and hugged her best friend. He didn't even twitch, he knew what her response would be as she pressed her face into his shoulder for a moment.

"Thank you," she whispered into his armor as arms pulled her close, a hand rubbing her shoulder.

"We've always got your back, okay?" We're here for you.

"I know." She did. She'd always know. Ever since the first time they'd all raided together back during the Vault of Glass, Skylar had known they'd end up as friends and allies and so much more.

Pulling away, she looked to her clan, no, not just her clan, her family, and once more after over two years, her raid team. Her team, not someone else's. Z, Haar, Corvan, Noble, Shiro, and her. Corvan hadn't been very close to Cayde, but when she met his eyes they told her everything she needed to know: he had her back, just like the rest of them. Running a hand over her hair she looked up at the darkened sky and wondered if Cayde was watching them.

Throwing the fabric of her new cloak over her shoulder, she clasped it to her armor and tugged the scarf into place.

"Let's go kill a Wish Dragon."

-Skylar-

Red.

Skylar had never had much of an opinion of the color. She knew it to be Z's favorite, to be part of his title as Red Wolf. It was also the eye color of Corvan's ghost, the color of human blood, and a late autumn sunsets. The only red Skylar had ever worn had been the red from the pulsing eyes of her Tarantella chest plate – which was long gone, broken during the war with Gaul – and some early on Crucible armor. Technically she had even been a 'redhead', though that was only because solar, or amber, wasn't a color grouping for hair color. She'd never had much of an opinion of it – until now.

Standing in her star ship's main room that was used as a bunk and prep area, she stared into the small mirror she'd hung on the far wall near the entrance to the cockpit. Honestly, she couldn't really remember the last time she'd really taken the time to look in the mirror. Sterling always just did his thing to fix her hair and seeing as most days on a ship were busy days, admiring oneself in the mirror was long forgotten.

Sometimes, she didn't look because she didn't recognize who stared back at her.

Her long, bound black hair with it's severe right-sided part, left bangs over one side, while the right was weaved back into braids, all of it held tight in a tail that reached mid back. She hadn't cut her hair in almost two years, had Sterling change the length a few times while Tali messed with styles till she'd pick one. The black was still startling sometimes, even after so much time had passed. Her eyes were the same, mostly anyway. They looked harder now, that orange glow in them reduced to an edge of color around gold. Skylar had changed a lot of her looks over the last two years, but the one thing that had always stayed the same was her Guardian marking, the dark blue that swept over her eyes from temple to temple.

Blue was her color, red was Z's, except now, it wasn't just his. It was everyone's. Reaching up Skylar touched the red of her marking and winced slightly at the rough texture of the red skin there. Red that was nothing like her old hair color, but red like blood, red like a fresh burn. It felt like a burn too, as if it had eaten away the blue. Sterling couldn't heal it, but she had a feeling if it did heal, the color wouldn't change.

Skylar swallowed hard and dropped her hand.

It's certainly not what we thought would happen, is it? The telltale voice of a long dead Hunter played by the echoing remains of a god reached her ears and she sighed. Looking over her shoulder she found Andal – Xol really, but not, either – leaning up against the stack of crates at the foot of her bed that held ammo and supplies. He tilted his head up slightly, looking down his nose at her. Never thought I'd see the Light do that. Traveler's a bit touchier than I thought.

"Shut up," she said flatly, pain snapping through her chest at the words. Pain, because she knew it was true.

Taking the offered power of Stasis from the Pyramids hadn't gone as planned. It hadn't gone at all how Elsie had said it would. Instead, the moment that power had touched her Light, her Guardian Marking had warmed. Then it had grown hotter and hotter till it burned and seared and Skylar had thought her eyelids might melt onto her eyes. She hadn't been able to hear her own screaming over those of her clanmates. The sight of the rough, angry red of her marking only confirmed what the spirit said. It would probably take a while to heal.

It was their punishment for crossing that line, the one between Light and Dark.

Somewhere, in the world beyond, Uldren Sov was laughing at her.

No matter what their reasons had been, it was still a line that they'd crossed and now Skylar would never see the blue on her face again, the last piece of her old self burned away. Maybe it was for the better.

Andal hummed, and then his eyes cut to the side, farther behind her, and Skylar didn't need to look to know someone was there and that she knew who that someone was. Turning all the way around, she crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow at Corvan as he stocked soundlessly into the room, his scarflike cloak whipping behind him. With his hood up per normal, it was hard to see his eyes, but she didn't need to, she knew he wasn't looking at her. He was looking where she had been, where her little friend was. He'd heard her snap at Andal then, how long had he been there before making himself known? Corvan was one of the few people she knew that could probably sneak up on anyone he wanted to, including her.

"You should know better than to let him get to you," he said finally, his low, even voice only hinting at his displeasure of the entire situation. Not at her, not entirely, but Corvan had about as much love for the Hive as she did. His eyes flicked to the gun still strapped to her back. "Take it off Skylar."

Glancing down, she blinked, almost surprised to see it. Sometimes she forgot she was even wearing it. The gun was almost like a part of her. Her hand gripped at the strap reflexively.

"He can't lie to me, you know that," she murmured, avoiding his suggestion.

"There is a difference between lying and not telling the truth."

You know I've never been able to quite figure him out, Andal mused, watching as Corvan moved further into the room, stopping a foot in front of Skylar. I truly do wonder what goes on in his head. What those dragon bones have promised him. His words have Skylar's eye flicking down to Corvan's boots, at the bones wrapped around them caressing the material under them like one might something precious. The only time she'd ever seen them off of him was when he was changing. He even wore them when he was off duty.

"Skylar," the older Hunter barked her name, snapping her head back up. Without hesitation he closed the distance and reached out, gripping her shoulders. "Get rid of the gun for the night. Give your mind a break." It sounded like an order, but in reality she was the clan leader, not the other way around; but also, this wasn't a mission. He was the oldest Guardian in their clan, and Skylar, she was the youngest founder. She swallowed hard again, glancing at Andal, who had taken out a knife and was fiddling with it. Looking back to Corvan, she caught sight of his dark blue gaze under the shadow of his hood and closed her eyes, taking a breath.

"Sterling," she murmured.

See you later Phantom, Andal called, his last word nearly cut in half as she felt the weight of The Whisper disappear as the gun was taken out of sight. She let out a shaky breath and slowly, Corvan let go of her shoulders. Even with the gun gone, the tickle of Xol's tether to her lingered. She pushed it back.

"Did you need something, or are you just here to make sure I don't talk to a ghost all night?" Skylar asked quietly, opening her eyes once more to look at Corvan and watching as he crossed his arms, giving her a knowing look as he cocked his chin up.

"You know the answer to that question." Of course, they both knew why, but she also knew it was more. He worried about her the same as her other friends, he just didn't openly admit it. "You've been running on fumes for two days now. The others might believe you, but I know you haven't slept, too busy fighting or running or staying up listening to that creature ." He hissed out the last word. "It's either that, or your nightmares."

Skylar remembered the first time he'd seen one of those. Before Cayde had died, her dreams had calmed, only tormenting her on occasion. Now they were armed with so much more pain and fear that her imagination was filled with them. She'd woken up screaming and Haar had been the one to comfort her as she clutched at her knife and tried to silence the sobs. She remembered seeing Corvan's face, the shock frozen there. It was the only time she'd ever seen him look lost.

"Z knows," she argued quietly, remembering the frown her best friend had given her as she'd headed into her ship. He'd asked if she was alright, she'd told him yes, and she knew he didn't believe her. He didn't push, none of them did. None of them, except the Hunter in front of her. He huffed quietly at her words.

"Z doesn't have the nerve to do what has to be done, for you, and for everyone else in the long run. He's afraid you'll break if he touches you wrong, I know you won't."

A tingle, sharp and hard ran down her spine and she worked at keeping her face smooth. Skylar wasn't sure if she would ever consider Corvan to be wise - if anything, Haar took that role - but being as old as he was, the Hunter knew how the world worked in a way she wasn't sure she'd ever understand. He knew how to look at people and read them even when their guards were up and then deal with them head on. He didn't sugarcoat things, he didn't skirt issues, and he didn't lie to make people feel better. It wouldn't help anyone in the end, that's how he looked at the world. Rubbing a hand over her face she winced again as the tender mark and drew her hand back quickly.

"This is nothing new," she reminded him. It wasn't. None of this was new, well, except for the burnt marking and the darkness running through her body. The taint that had more than likely just labeled her and her team as traitors. Rouge Light Bearers just like the Drifter. Her friend didn't seem to care about her excuses, as always.

"You need to sleep."

"Sleeping isn't easy when your mind is never quiet."

"Then stop thinking," Corvan replied evenly, reaching up and pulling his hood down, a rare sight outside of a situation like this.

Skylar had always pinned him to look somewhere in his early to mid-thirties, but age was irrelevant to Guardians. His black hair was smoothed back as always, tanned, worn skin with a set of dark blue eyes that revealed only what he wished them to. Then under the left one, gracing the side of his jaw and neck, was his own Guardian marking. It had always been black, and vaguely reminded her of a stretched-out wing, but now, just like hers, it was red and burnt. They were the only two on their team with markings on their faces. Skylar's eye lingered on the two small, nick-like scars half covered by his marking where an Exo had punched him the day she'd almost died.

Thoughts moving back to his words from before she bit her lip. She'd heard those words before, so many times, and for once, since the first time, she hesitated for a moment.

"Corvan…"

He didn't say anything, he didn't need to. He just met her gaze with that unfaltering knowing one of his own. She let her mind wonder for a moment over the man in front of her.

Corvan Blacksteel.

A name that still to this day apparently was used as nightmare fuel for Fallen. Skylar didn't know his exact age - she wasn't sure he did either, that he cared to keep track - but she knew he'd been risen and lived in the Dark Age. Cayde had never told her the details, but from what she understood, his last name came from the people around him.

'You didn't mess with Corvan, or the people he chose to look after. They used to say when he was angry, his eyes drained of color and looked like they turned as hard as metal, and that was the only sign you got that you'd screwed up.'

She'd never thought they'd be friends, not after how'd they first met; yet here he was, closer to her than ever and whatever fear she'd once had of him had faded over the years. His eyes were dark, but she knew he cared in his own way, knew he'd do whatever it took to keep those in the clan safe – her safe. It's why he'd taken that blow for her over a year ago, and it was why he was here now.

He didn't want her to die.

What had happened during Crota, his misstep with leading her team that had almost killed her for good, haunted him. He would never admit to it out right, but the way he had apologized to her that day during the Dawning… she'd forgiven him because of the look in his eyes. He was old, but even old Guardians made mistakes. How could he have possibly known Crota would take their Light when she'd been fighting a wave of Thrall? It had taken her a long time to realize that - to realize that in the end, it had been no one's fault.

Skylar wasn't sure he'd ever really forgive himself, and that was why he'd kept those scars given to him by Cayde.

"Sky?" Her nickname on his lips had her jolting out of her meandering thoughts and she stopped staring at him to look to the side. He hardly ever used her nickname, when he did, it was always spoken softer, like there was a greater meaning behind it. Another long moment and he shifted his stance, his arms falling to his sides. "Do you want me to leave?"

Shock rippled through her. He'd never offered to do that before. If he left, he did so because he wanted to, just like everything else he did. So why now? Glancing to him again, she saw him eyeing her burnt marking and realized he might have because he knew how upset she was, and that maybe he shouldn't have been there. Some things, people didn't want comforting from. Some things, they had to work out for themselves.

He was wrong of course, but he was right about other things.

There was so damn much going on in her head. So much and yet she couldn't make sense of any of it. Her mind was being pulled in too many directions and even with the gun gone, the presents of Xol - of Andal - remained, buried in her head. She couldn't hear him, knew he couldn't reach her mind, but there was always that feeling. It felt like something was lightly scratching at the corner of her soul, not an inch and not painful, but still there, barely there. It took a lot out of her to not notice it and she was far past having that. It tore at her, daring her to weaken further, to give in to it. She didn't know what would happen if she ever did.

She needed something else to focus on, Make herself stop thinking, just like Corvan had said.

Reaching up to the ties at her cloak, she touched them and then moved lower to wear the warmth of a solar infused necklace sat under armor. It had been her lifeline during the Red War, it had kept her sane after Cayde had died, but it had its limits. There was only so much comfort something so small could give, yet she still clung to it even now. She hoped somewhere, beyond this world, he forgave her. Letting out a breath, her hand dropped to the side once more and looked at the black-haired Hunter.

She didn't want him to leave at all.

Instead, she shook her head, took one step forward, and kissed him.

His instant reaction was expected - he kissed her back, controlled but eager, and within seconds had her pushed back against the ship's wall behind her. A hand slid down to her waist while the other used a deft finger to release the clasp on her cloak. It fluttered to the ground, and he pulled back, letting her take in a gasp of air as he moved his mouth to her ear.

"Let it go," he whispered, nipping at it. "Stop focusing and let it go." He meant her control. She was her clan's leader, she made the hard choices and made sure everyone was safe. She had to remain strong to use Xol correctly and now the Darkness as well. Her emotions, her wants, her choices – all kept firmly in place with her will.

But not here.

He dragged his teeth along the side of her jaw and she tensed, drawing in a sharp breath before her hand shot up, grabbing his neck and threading into his hair as she felt her own fall from its bindings. It was a desperate thing, impassioned by pain and stress. A sharp need to forget and feel someone's arms. That desperation made any thoughts of being gentle evaporate as they tore at each other's armor and leather till there was nothing but her undergarments and his pants. She raked her nails down his back when he bit her ear, lighting her veins on fire. Humans weren't nearly as toughly made as Exos, but Skylar had never really gotten used to holding back on tendencies made from her time with Cayde. Biting and clawing at metal and synth skin was different from normal human skin. Thankfully, Corvan seemed to enjoy it.

Grabbing her thighs, he lifted her up and stepped between them, silently ordering her legs around his waist. She obeyed without hesitation, wanting that contact, that lack of space that told her she was alive. Void Light rippled across his bare hand as he slid it along her spine and she groaned, nails digging into his shoulder this time.

"Damn it Corvan," she hissed, jerking her head down and biting his neck hard enough he flinched, shuttered, and whispered her name. He pressed harder against her, grinding till her legs tightened, following his movements, and she pulled so hard at his hair that she might've pulled some of it out. Her vision blurred as he rolled his hips against hers again, letting out a sound that used to embarrass her. He chuckled.

Then he wrapped an arm around her back, turned, and got them onto her cot in less than five seconds. Panting, she stared up at him, his Void-infused hand brushing over one of the purple claw marks he felt responsible for creating, as if he could make them vanish. His eyes weren't as cold as before, the ice had melted away, making the blue more prominent. His other hand left her hair to brush the very edge of her mark at the hairline, eyes following the movement. There was an understanding there, a realization that maybe what had happened to their markings bothered him just as much as it did her. She reached up and did the same to his own and he closed his eyes.

They needed this - the comfort of another living person - even if they'd never voiced it out loud. Not since the first time.

He kissed her again and, just like everything else, there was nothing gentle about it. Soft and slow didn't wipe her mind, but this – this gave her little time to even think straight, if at all. So, he bit her lip and deepened their kiss the instant she let him as she pulled him closer, his hand still skating across her skin, toying and clever. Heat and lust dragged at her mind, and she held onto him tighter as something hard pressed into her hip and she moaned.

Then her bra was gone as he bit down on her neck, but stayed far away from the patch of scar tissue on her right shoulder and didn't touch the necklace resting at her collarbone. He knew her boundaries and he respected them more than one might think, but respect and honor and shared, demanding comfort was all that there was.

There would be no 'I love you's, she knew that now and every other time before. There were no names of endearment or promises of forever. That was fine, she didn't need them, didn't want them. What she needed was this. She wanted him, was desperate for more heat and it drove a sharp whine from her on the next bite. Pulling away, Corvan let out a long breath, eyes locking on hers once more.

"What are you thinking about?" he questioned, his Void-clad hand on inner thigh now. Skylar pulled in a sharp breath, clenching her teeth at the sensation of something that wasn't cold or warm or anything she knew how to describe, other than it felt amazing. Her hand tightened in his hair again as she moved the other to drag her purple lightning infused nails down his back to his waist. The way he tensed, choking on a husky sound, and shivered at the movement was more than satisfying.

"I'm wondering why the fuck your pants are still on," she growled. Fire lit up cobalt eyes and he smirked dipping his nose against hers for a moment and she caught the smallest of warmth there, of an endearment both of them ignored.

"Good."

Then he gave her exactly what she needed, driving her hard and fast till she slipped into an oblivion so deep she didn't even dream.

Bad coping habits? But of course~
How they got to this point with be explained later.
Thanks for reading!