The smoothness of Hunter's cheek grazed her fingertips. He sought her acceptance. Wished for her affection.
He already had it.
His scar disappeared under the full spread of her hand. She cupped his cheek and he melted into it with a hum that made her magic trill. Grass thickened. Their patch under the stars grew softer, warmer. A night on the Boiling Isles had always been so much more welcoming than the human world.
Will-o-wisps floated in glowing balls over the meadow, their light accompanying calm moon hues. She could see her fingers clearly as they trailed down Hunter's cheek. Long gold lashes fanned in stunning contrast to dark eyebrows. He was so beautiful. Maybe it was the way he treated her that made her think that, or maybe he just was.
Quietly he settled into her returned touch. It would be so easy to capture what she wanted from the peak of his mouth. He might even allow it. She let her thumb glide off the surprisingly plush scar.
Something in the atmosphere had changed, a border crossed when he'd taken her hand. Simple acceptance twisted with impending bloom of this not being enough. They'd survived so much. A touch to the face and it was not enough.
Hunter's colorful eyes drifted open, smoldering with the same flavor of restraint he'd held before. Willow's impulse to pull him in skyrocketed. She was sure of it now: his eyes only glowed when he used certain magic. Tonight they were quiet. Moonlight muted pink to a purplish depth.
He knew she'd been ignoring the soreness around her neck. His voice was soft. "Will you… let me heal you?"
"But I don't want you to be hurt."
"I know," he admitted. "It's not like that this time though. You're not hiding a major injury or anything, right?"
Willow bit her lip. She nodded.
He said, "I'd rather it were me than you. Please."
It was important to him. Hunter wanted to do something for her, and it made a difference if she accepted their back and forth strength instead of shutting him out. Let Hunter protect. Her clenched fingers relaxed. "Okay."
Under his drawn spell a circle opened the night air. Red wobbled with the unique signature of grimwalker magic. Warmth started at Willow's sternum and crept upward like a blush, covering over the pain, erasing roughness she hadn't realized was stuck in her throat. Pleasant inner glow added to the good she already felt. Unaware of the effects of his own power, Hunter remained gently focused on the part of her his spell reached. Past the forelock soft rose irises rested at her collar while he held the magic circle.
She could've kissed him. Healing spread its cozy scarf to her shoulders. "It feels nice when you do that," she said.
Red flurried his face instantly. "Oh." After a beat he murmured, "I've been told it's weird."
"No. Healing is cold, but yours is… warm."
Warm. He ducked further into blush. The spell completed but its color took longer to fade from Hunter's cheeks. Willow was near enough her cloak overlapped his, ivy and midnight gold fabrics puddling together along the grass.
"Can we be closer?" Hunter asked. He looked away, loose bang trailing along, and cutely scritched a finger to his cheek. "Heh. Sorry if that's a weird request."
"I want that too."
Hearing so made him soften. "Okay." Then he waffled over how to close the distance.
"C'mere Hunter," she chuckled and roped him in, careful not to jostle his injured side. The little laugh he made as he cuddled close could've killed her. He sounded genuinely happy.
Comfort flowed when they touched, comfort so desperate that no single snuggle could be enough. Light squeezes and careful brushes led them deeper and deeper against each other. They were alive. They were together. Willow clung to Hunter as if it could keep him safe, and he held her fervently in turn. Despite his height he tucked into the protective space under her chin. Fluffy hair bunched to her skin, the tip of his notched ear tickling her neck, and amazement racked Willow that there could be someone so tender.
He could've chosen anyone and he'd chosen her. He nuzzled further in. They couldn't seem to get near enough. Passion started to swell with each reciprocated movement and the sensation of Hunter full and flush against her. Darker umbre darts in his hair brushed her chin. She couldn't help but turn her face to the softness to hide a silent and secret kiss there.
Neither of them separated from the embrace. Rising anticipation of what that meant heated the night. It would be easy to fall down to the bedded grass, together.
Flapjack had gone quiet on Hunter's far shoulder and now the cardinal purred. After a few relaxed beak clicks Flapjack hopped into a smooth soar across the meadow. Clover likewise made herself scarce. Somehow the palismen already knew. Willow tried to swallow butterfly beats taking over her pulse. Excitement and worry mixed.
She shouldn't.
But she should.
Entwined with Hunter she could tell he grappled with the same hesitations. If one of them caved to physical cravings both would. If neither of them did, they'd gather what was left of their pulverized wits and leave the forest even if it meant flying in the dark. They had to go because Willow was sure if they stayed the night she'd use every charm she had to bring him into her forest bed. After today she wasn't sure either of them wanted to be alone.
Her heart ached. The bile around it ached. Willow breathed, "How close did you want to be?"
Hunter unraveled himself and sat up to meet her eyes, adorably astonished like she'd offered a million snails and he doubted it could be real but it might be. The more he looked the more real it became. He gazed down at her, all tousled hair and scars.
"Okay," Hunter whispered to himself to build courage.
And then carefully, calmly, he reclaimed his hands. In his lap he loosened each glove and slid it off. Folded them together. Lay them aside.
This time when his fingers trailed through hers it flowed pure bliss of bare skin. Hunter said, "I was thinking, maybe this close?"
"This close?" she teased just a little, giving his hands a squeeze, a smile perking her mouth. He'd made himself very close and kissable.
Hunter nibbled the corner of his lip. Its sculpted shape released. "Maybe… a little more…"
She tented his forelock out of the way with one hand. This near, the look on his face became spellbound and earnest. Lids low. Mouth relaxed into a sincere line. He was serious about this and Willow smiled because she knew, and she adored him for it.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead to hers.
"I'm… a little nervous," he lamented. She stroked his cheek to be sure he wasn't scared or afraid, and he wasn't. Just nervous.
"Don't be," she whispered.
Then she kissed him.
She kissed him and he softly pressed into it in a way that sparked her soul. Oh no, he felt amazing; how could she survive if this was it? The quiet sound of their lips parting stabbed through her heart. Eyes closed, she hovered in the space they'd left off hopeful Hunter might seek more.
A heated puff from his mouth sent her forward again. She stole a small, inquisitive smooch. Hunter drank it up.
Something inside him came undone. Through their shared connection Hunter rose to meet her, strength unfurling in an exciting and rewarding manner. They barely separated at all. Her pulse thrummed.
"I've wanted to kiss you for so long," he said, and then his hands were on her face and his lips to hers and it was so utterly deliriously delicious Willow gave in to the impulse to grasp his collar, bring him closer. Satiny witch's wool bunched in her fist while the kiss spread through her like warm spiced rum.
"After the island breakfast you made," he breathed, hot flow tickling her cheek before she snatched him for another kiss. "Behind the garden wall under the palistrom tree. In your room." He spilled his secret cravings without thought. "Mmmf, a-after we left the skull. Haah." Willow had started leaning him down, down into the grass. She moved until she was sitting astride Hunter, pinning him to the ground. "Oh Titan, Willow," he groaned. Hands cupped her waist.
"Sorry if I'm too heavy," she said.
"You're not. You're not, I…"
They couldn't keep their faces apart. It felt too amazing. Nectar from the nenuphar, sweet and soft and meaningful, all of it.
And maybe they shouldn't be doing this, not when they'd only just been reunited, but Hunter had the ability to push away self-doubts Willow hid from the rest of the world. Every affection she offered he returned. He didn't hesitate. She barely had time to register how pretty he looked in the grass, hair askew, cloak fallen open, before they were all over each other.
Rolling him over turned out to be trickier than imagined. While they kissed she wedged her hand under his shoulder. She lifted, trying to take him with her. When he didn't get it she squeezed her knees around him for leverage. Hunter squeaked a confused murmur.
"I want you on top," she said.
He moved. Between grasping kisses he followed her pull. Slowly they rose off the ground. Lips locked, one arm circled around to pin her and they flopped over.
Hunter pulled back. His flyaway bang hung as he gazed down at her, panting, the flush on his face reaching his ears. Clouded heat filled his expression. The depths of his eyes brimmed with gentle compassion.
Willow desperately wished to continue. She reached to trace the flaxen contour of Hunter's chipped ear. His eyes closed and he breathed into the touch. Precious like honey, how anyone could ever wish to hurt someone so sweet was beyond her. Uneven texture of the scar on his cheek trailed under her fingertips.
Hunter made up his mind. Elbows bent as he leaned in. Willow let her eyes close over the night's will-o-wisp light. The tip of Hunter's nose tickled her cheek where his mouth landed a butterfly kiss. He hovered there before the shadow of his warmth centered itself.
He didn't make her wait.
Passion flowed from the press of his lips. He shared the strength of his devotion and it was on another level. She'd never been this taken by a kiss before. Rationality started to slip away under a haze of elation. It was Hunter, Hunter giving her this attention, Hunter who'd defied the life he'd always known for her, fought at her side, invited her in, who'd survived so much trauma and still, still could love her this way.
Her fingers clutched affectionately along his sides. He moved in sync, showering her with attention, murmuring sounds of appreciation with everything she did, and Willow lost the thread of reality. Magic hummed in her blood.
She didn't care anymore if this only happened once. If they got separated, if they hardly saw each other again, if one of them got lost in the chaos, the only thing she'd regret is not loving him as dearly as she felt.
Grass crinkled under sliding fabric. Hunter brought himself closer, closer. He was mindful to keep his lower half off her. Willow imagined pulling him down and playing it off with a cheeky remark.
She wanted to feel all of him.
"If we don't stop…" Hunter panted. He kissed her again.
"I know."
"And you don't mind?"
She smiled. "Why would I?"
"Because, ah. It would. Mean something."
"Like, a grimwalker thing?"
He shook his head and the embarrassed flush over his ears prevented him from explaining. Willow knew what he meant though. His commitment was serious. "Okay," she said happily.
The cutest surprised look smacked Hunter's face. He stared down at her. "Okay…?"
She had feelings for him too. "How about, we stop, and if it happens again, then, well." She shrugged against the grass.
Hunter eased off her. "I've been given a lot of tough orders in my time, but that one is actually impossible."
Willow grinned. "Why?"
"Because I lov—" he caught himself. "Because it's you!"
"Oh. Well then allow me to reel in my seductive witchy charms."
More flustered than ever Hunter sucked his lower lip. He focused on finding his gloves. Willow watched, pride and confidence sparkling while he attempted to compose himself. Curling bits of lichen and grass trimmings dappled his cloak. He didn't seem to notice, busy instead gazing at her with warm consideration whenever he thought she wasn't looking.
There was absolutely no way this truce was going to last very long.