He was quiet, staring into the flames. “She’s a human,” he said slowly, his brows furrowed. “Just an ordinary human, except that when she was younger, before she met my dad, she was a pageant winner. Not just a pageant winner... she was famous. Her beauty pulled people from miles around and when they watched her play violin, well... she was enchanting.” *** Her hand came up to cup his jaw gently as she broke their kiss, looking up at him for a moment. Her flush was immediate and she stepped back, dropping her hands. “I’m sorry...” *** He propped his chin in the mattress, looking up at her playfully. His long hair was ruffled. “Hey.” *** She glowered at him. “Thanks,” she said flatly, pinching the apples of her cheeks to bring color to them.
She watched him, her expression caring. "She was?" *** He watched her intensely, his eyes wide and a blush on his cheeks. "Why are you apologizing?" *** She smiled at him, brushing his hair back. "Hello." *** He frowned at her. "I don't mean it as an insult."
"Absolutely," he said slowly, looking up at the ceiling. "And then she met my dad, Lilith, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Finally, she had met someone who was more beautiful than she was and he didn't care. He was charming and funny and regal... she fell hard and when they got married, she was so happy. But the thing about succubi is that while we feed off of that devotion, we feed off of jealousy even more and the heartache it creates. Being with my father drove her insane. He'd come home at night with lipstick on his jaw that wasn't hers and he wouldn’t even try to hide it, the perfume of another woman heavy around him. And my mother would pull her hair out, knowing that she was losing him, but not understanding that he had never been hers in the first place." * * * She covered her eyes embarrassedly. "Because you don't like that kind of stuff. *squee!*. I'm sorry." * * * "What are you doing?" * * * "I figured," she said smoothly. "I'll try to look less tired next time."
She watched him carefully, her expression unreadable. "Is that what you're afraid of?" *** He watched her with wide eyes before leaning forward and kissing her again. *** She was quiet, her gaze observant and thoughtful as she said nothing. *** He frowned, looking a little worried. "Sorry."
His golden eyes flickered up to hers and he was still. “Terrified.” *** Her flush was strong and she hesitated before kissing him back, her arms draping over his shoulders after a moment. *** He frowned, raising an eyebrow. “What?” *** “Don’t be. You only spoke the truth.”
She looked sad, but met his gaze. "I trust you, Sylas." *** He pulled away after a moment. "Is that better?" *** She leaned forward, giving him a soft, slow kiss. *** "You still looked upset."
He shook his head slowly. “Hazel was demonic too, so I didn’t have to worry as much. But you... I can’t be the one that hurts you, Lilith.” *** She was watching his with wide eyes, speechless. * * * He flushed, reaching up to cup her jaw gently. * * * "I'm not. I'm not so shallow as to be upset when someone makes a comment on my looks."
She drew closer to him. "You won't hurt me, Sylas. I know you. This.. What hurts is hearing you say these things." *** He offered a small, nervous smile. "Is that okay..?" *** She pulled away, her gaze soft. *** "You looked upset."
He exhaled slightly, his hand coming up to cup her jaw. “Yeah. I know it hurts you. I’m sorry. But I’m thinking of the long run, here.” *** Her fingers brushed the back of his neck lightly as a slow smile crossed her lips. “So you do like me.” *** He was blushing, looking at her thoughtfully. “Huh. Well, we have that first kiss checked off.” *** “I’m not,” she snapped, raising an eyebrow. “Why shouldn’t I be tired? I’ve had to keep your sorry ass alive this whole time.”
She shook her slightly. "You're.. You're just basing it off an assumption, Sylas. You have control over yourself. You know what you're doing. You wouldn't hurt me.." *** He tilted his head slightly, looking a little confused. "I told you I did. Do you believe me now?" *** She has a flush on her cheeks, watching him. "We have." *** He went quiet for a moment, looking a bit upset with her. "Are you serious, Theresa? I was dragging around from the beginning. You only helped when you started acting normal."
He watched her, his brows furrowing as he shook his head. “I don’t know...” *** She nodded slowly, her eyes alight as she watched him. “I do.” *** He gave her a small smile before reaching up to kiss her again. *** She raised an eyebrow. “Oh, really?” she challenged. “I may have been... out of it, but I was still working to keep you safe. Why do you think I charged off into the woods when you said that you wanted to go to the road?”
"It's just a title, Sylas.. It would hardly change from a friendship." *** He was watching her adoringly, brushing her hair back. "Good." *** She leaned forward, kissing him back. *** He glared at her. "You constantly belittle me."
He watched her with a frown. “That’s true,” he allowed. *** She leaned into his touch, looking up at him with a grin. “We should probably go look around more.” *** His hand came up to brush through her hair and he sat up, slipping his arms around her waist. *** She glared at him. “Do you believe that you don’t deserve it?” she demanded, looking genuinely upset. “This whole time, you’ve thought that this was all a big game. The entire time. And now that things are seriously affecting you, you say stuff that hurts and hide it under the guise that you’re keeping the group together.”
She took his hands, holding them tightly. "I know you, Sylas. I like you." *** He nodded, pulling away. "Let's go." *** She shifted closer, her hand on his jaw. *** "I didn't mean it to hurt you, Theresa," he said quietly, shaking his head slightly. "I don't know why you just assume these things about me." He hesitated, turning away from her. "I'm sorry I was mean to you before. I didn't want to hurt you."
His hands were soft as his fingers slipped through her hair gently, his caress uncertain. "I know," he said, his voice low. "I... I really like you too..." * * * She followed him deeper into the house, pulling her red hair into a braid as they walked. "We should try to figure out where we are. Look for clues." * * * He broke the kiss gently after a moment, his eyes affectionate as he watched her breathlessly. "Wow." * * * "Didn't you?" she replied quietly, the tip of her sword pointing into the dirt. "How could you have possibly thought that you were doing anything but hurting?"
She looked at the ground, her brows furrowed as she said nothing. *** "Where should we start?" he asked curiously, dragging his hand along the hallway. *** He turned to her, her expression upset. "I was just looking out for myself! I didn't know you at the beginning. I regret my mistakes and that's why I'm apologizing. But.. You just.. You just continue to look down on my like I'm some sort of pest." He was going to continue, but stopped suddenly when he turned his head towards the forest, as if listening.
He frowned at this, dropping his hand and looking away. *** “Try and find some documents, maybe?” *** Theresa recognized this look, frowning. “What is it?”
She quietly, shifted over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "If you're worried about me, that should say enough." *** He nodded, looking through the rooms curiously. *** She grinned, her expression warm. "You're lovely." *** He didn't reply yet, stepping towards the bushes cautiously. He peered in suspiciously, before a dark blur, struck him. He was knocked down with a surprised yelp, a cut along his face. The blur disappeared back into the bushes without another trace.
He considered her intensely. After a moment, he reached up cupping her face in his hands, his pointer finger gently tracing her cheekbone before he planted soft kisses along her jawline. * * * She began to open drawers and cabinets. * * * He raised an eyebrow playfully, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Is that so?" * * * As soon as the attack occurred, a shimmering white light shielded Maverick as Theresa flew over to him, standing between him and the bushes protectively. Her wings had materialized, large and threatening, and her sword was drawn, flashing in the gloom. "Are you alright?"
She flushed, looking rather surprised, but tilted her head for him. "Sylas..?" *** There was nothing of interest, just old clothes and fabrics. *** She smiled at him. "It is." *** He was covering his face with his hand, but there was a large cut that crossed over his nose and a bit of his forehead. He looked wide-eyed, and transformed into an owl. The injury remained despite the transformation, and he stumbled slightly before quickly flying away.
