His familiarity with kisses had come from his times with the concubines. He remembered that their mouths would press against his urgently, as if desperate, or under a time constraint. Although there was a fire behind their lips, the action was always absent, a facade that was used to get the job done. As Juniper kissed him back, though, Zerras would be struck by how this was almost completely opposite to what he was used to. There was a tiny, sweet pause of surprise, but then it felt as if something clicked. She kissed him back with incredible gentleness, her mouth soft and hesitant against his. Despite this tentativeness, though, he would feel the affection that had been missing from his concubines, the earnest yet understated adoration in her touch, a fact that was accentuated by her hand slipping up to rest on his jaw.
He relaxed slowly, shifting closer for a moment before pulling away slightly, observing her cautiously.
She seemed utterly shocked, her hands still resting on either side of his jaw. Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him and there was a small moment of silence before she laughed, sounding completely breathless as she rested her forehead against his. "But I'm not your type," she murmured quietly, still watching him.
"You always say that," he said quietly, shaking his head slightly, "but you never really knew if I actually felt that way."
She fell silent, studying him as her thumb gently brushed his cheekbone. She didn't say anything, clearly deep in thought as she considered him freely, her gaze tracing him.
He was quiet, watching her gently. He slowly exhaled, her shoulders relaxing. "What are you thinking?"
She gave him a small smile before draping her arms over his shoulders, resting her head in the curve of his neck. "I don't know yet," she replied softly, holding him close. "Maybe I'll think clearly tomorrow."
She nodded, pulling away from him. Her face was impossible to read. "Okay," she replied. There was a pause before she offered her hand to him.
She followed him, but looked up at him apprehensively as they approached the larger crowds, glancing down at their hands thoughtfully.
She looked up at him in surprise before giving him a shy little smile. “Yes,” she said, squeezing his hand before looking a little sheepish. “Or... I think so. Demons are very hard to interpret.”
She looked down at them in thought before looking up at him, seeming a little embarrassed. “Up on the roof, that thing... should I be thinking that it... that it meant something? Or is that something demons do often?” She started blushing, looking terribly unsure. “Because... that’s not a casual elf thing. Not like that.”
Her whole face relaxed and she looked up at him, her golden hair slipping through his fingers. “It meant something,” she repeated quietly, stepping a little closer to him.
"The dances I always attended were so stiff," he said with a frown, looking back at the people, whose movements were fluid and free. "It was nothing like this."
