midnightstar | Shionne and Alphen in Menancia

They've all come a long way since Calaglia, both in terms of distance and... other things. Things Shionne was forcing herself not to acknowledge. Because what would the point be to acknowledge those thoughts when she couldn't act on them - when at the end of this journey, she had no future? Ah... but that was something she hadn't - couldn't - tell the others, who she's begun thinking of as more than just 'tools'.

Particularly Alphen.

It was the hardest to think of him when she knew how much she was keeping from him. Much to her frustration, however, the group had decided to take a break for a little while since Shionne's pace had been pushing the others quite a lot - and they did just gain two new companions. Shionne was avoiding them as much as possible, deciding to go for a walk through the city almost...baffled by how accepting the Dahnans and Renans were.

It was ... nice. But it felt so alien to her, at the same time.

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Funny, she was thinking the same. Well she wished he could hold her too. She didn't blame him for letting go of her hand - rather, herself for hurting him at all. She'd given up on everything in that moment she realized that the man she loved would only be hurt if he touched her. He was the last person she wanted to ever hurt. Even so, she lifted her hand slightly, but didn't bring it close enough to his hand- the painful longing was palpable, ".. so do I. But we both know what would happen..." ... yet a part of her wanted to touch him anyway. A tiny, selfish part.

"Gonna be honest...I'm probably going to get frustrated enough to go for it anyway even if only for a second." Alphen tried to laugh it off as a joke but there was definitely a hint of resolve in his voice to endure that pain for just a moment of physical contact between the two of them.

Shionne gave him an exasperated glance, "You don't --" she stopped. Even though he said it jokingly, she suspected he did mean it. Which was part of the problem, because she didn't feel confident that she would stop him - or herself - even if he was injured. That craving for his touch was almost impossible to ignore.

She was even tempted to bargain with him - to offer to let him hold her hand as long as he let go when he couldn't bear it anymore. She shook her head, "One of us has to be firm," She teased lightly, "Or will I have to throw something at you to keep you at a distance?"

He would. He so would and that look in his eyes betrayed how willing he'd be to risk it even for a few seconds of touching her hand. Maybe since their moment where he embraced her in the middle of her cursed rampage, he had started to hope to develop an endurance to it.

"You always were the more determined one in that regard." He points out oh so unhelpfully even if he WAS right.

If only. Privately, she had hoped his body had adapted to the feel of her thorns even when he couldn't feel pain. But that look in his eyes ... god, she knew it must mirror her own, wanting so desperately to touch him even for a second.

She had to look away, flustered and frustrated, even a tiny bit guilty at his point. "..you.. really don't make it easy.." He didn't even have to DO anything at this point.

Which is an opening for him to actually take that quickest risk to lunge forward and brush his lips against her cheek and suppressing the wince of pain almost completely before pulling back with what he hoped was a convincing smile at his sudden ambush. He tried to get the drop on both her and the curse with that one. Bold to say the least.

Ambushed! She definitely didn't expect him to take advantage like -that-, letting out a surprised little gasp as her head came up to shoot him a startled look. "Wha.. Alphen!" Her expression looked torn between scolding him and looking worried -- the blush probably wasn't helping matters though, "Why did...?" Didn't it hurt when he did that? He was giving her a strange smile, and she narrowed her eyes slightly. "Are you crazy?" Taking risks like that and all!?

"I probably am. But I don't regret it." Still stung a little bit but seeing that blush on her face was absolutely worth it and he felt a little appeased by those results. He could last for a while on that. Or so he told himself but it would be the case for a while so in the end he felt it was a net positive.

"W...well don't do that again..!" She folded her arms, trying to look stern. Stern! Be Stern! Except stern was really not the impression she was giving with her fighting back the smile and blush. She was going to look elsewhere instead, fingers drumming gently against her arms as she cleared her throat. Ahem! Yes, that -totally- made her angry. Is he buying it?

Not. One. Bit. He grins behind her back and leans in close enough to almost speak in her ear while they just stand there in under the endless sky.

"I can't make a promise I know I'm likely going to break." SO SHAMELESS TO THE END

HOW DID HE GET SO SHAMELESS!? She let out a startled squeak, the sound of his voice that close getting quite the reaction out of her. "Haa...you..." She huffed a noise that was almost a laugh. No, don't laugh Shionne, laughing will only enable that sort of behavior! "W.. what's gotten into you?" She added a little 'hmph!' to try and make it seem like they weren't totally flirting. Blatantly.

"I just realized how much I've grown used to having you close so I have to take every opening I can get away with." ALphen answers with a cheeky smile but doesn't go for another kiss this time. Not for lack of longing to do it but because he doesn't want to overdo it and make her feel guilty with his pained noises.

.. it's not like I'm going to go anywhere at the end of all this. You'll have all the time and opportunity you could possibly want .." She probably shouldn't give him a blank card to be bad like that though. She glanced over her shoulder for a thoughtful moment, and opted to admit one other thing. "After all.. I'll want to be close to you too." And he won't have to feel pain for it. Unless he wanted her to - uh, wait, ignore that part.

"I can't wait for that day." he smiled warmly almost reaching for a handhold again before he caught himself. As for the pain idea....in contrast to the instances of the curse affecting him, there was a pretty high chance he would enjoy THAT kind of behind the closed doors level of pain.

Oh. Oh my. WELL THEN. IF she knew he enjoyed it, she would certainly keep it in mind. Heck, she might not be able to hold herself back at that point. But for now, she smiled gently at him, "Neither can I." She agreed brightly, turning around to face him again. "Just thinking about all the time I can spend with you without worrying about my thorns hurting you..." She'd naturally be hesitant out of habit, but once she was used to the idea of touching him, he'd have to get the jaws of life to get her off of him. . . if he ever wanted to.

"Sounds like a dream worth going to the ends of the world for, doesn't it~?" He grinned happily back at her. Honestly it was so easy to get silly and daydream with Shionne. He loved that fact so much that he wanted to pursue it every chance he got.

"Just the two of us lying on the grass somewhere under the huge blue sky. Or maybe you would lie on top of me?" He smiled wistfully not really filtering his words from his thoughts at the moment.

Shionne smiled at the sight of that happy grin of his. She truly, truly cherished it. She could lose herself in that smile every time if she wasn't careful. ". Yes.. I think it's worth everything we put on the line." She grinned back - though its the latter part that throws her for a second. Or particularly his phrasing. "On-- ON top of you..?" That ... that was closer than she'd ever been with him. Not even necessarily as an intimate act, but just lying on top of him --

..as if she hadn't dreamed of something like that, snuggling on top of him with her arms wrapped tightly around him and her head against his chest.

"Hmm? Well yeah I mean without the armor on I think I'd be pretty comfortable to have you lying on top of me." He wasn't wrong he just didn't see anything to be embarrassed about when it came to that entire position and scenario. Because being with Shionne just felt THAT right.

She put her hands against her cheeks as if trying to contain the blush at the thought of cuddling with him when he didn't have his armor on. "a.ahah, I .. i don't know why but it feels so strange to think of you without your armor.." Well not -strange- per se, but she's used to seeing him with it on all the time, imagining him in just casual attire and being comfortable enough for her to relax and reston top of him. "But I imagine it would.. feel comfortable." More comfortable than the Inn bed? Maybe~!

Oh that reaction was just too cute for words and Alphen almost wanted to gush as well but he managed to contain it instead leaning a little closer but not enough to trigger the curse.

"Then that can be the first thing to confirm after we reach the end of our journey and the quest to save you."

Shionne's blush only grew even more intense at that, but she flashed a pleased smile - pausing for a second to give him a teasing smile, ".maybe .. not the _first_ thing to confirm...?" Giving him just enough of a suggestive glance at his lips to hint what she meant. Second on the other hand, she was all for it. Naturally she'd have to get used to the idea of someone actually being able to touch her let alone be close in other ways.

...aaaaaand as it would turn out, it wasn't her lying on top of him that was the first thing to confirm after all. Despite a few touch and go moments, between Shionne almost sacrificing herself and that fight betwene Volran and Alphen.. well everything that happened overall, knowing how far Alphen went for her and their world, a victory kiss seemed like the perfect reward at the end.

Although their friends stayed around for a little while afterwards just to recuperate, after about a week or two they eventually they went to move on and help where they felt they would be needed most. Kisara and Dolahim, Law and Rinwell...and then Alphen and herself. And even a week later, Shionne still wasn't over being able to actually touch someone. When he wasn't the one to initiate physical contact, Shionne was the one to reach out to him, to be able to touch him as much as possible for as long as possible.

While Alphen kept giving determined speeches to keep everyone going despite the odds, he had held some fears that maybe he would stumble at some point or another. A true leader was not someone who had NO fear. No it was someone who was able to face that fear and do what needed to be done regardless. Even if He would never call himself a leader.

But he could hardly complain about the reward. The first touch had been to catch her after the curse was lifted but that also came with all of that fatigue and relief knocking him out with Shionne. After all a body that no longer needed the adrenaline he'd been running on near the end, would of course shut down to allow him to recover.

First thing he'd felt was that he was in bed with someone. Someone whose hand he was holding as it seemed the rest of his party had put them both in the same bed. Though later he found out that was the case because at some point before or during them passing out, him and Shionne had locked hands and no matter how hard they tried, the two of them did not let go of each other even when unconscious.

Now though they would hold hands deliberately at the very least and explore other ways Shionne could touch him the rest of the time.

"You're too cute when you look so awestruck you know~"

And now was no different, with her hand still clutching his, fingers absently tracing his hand. The fascination in being able to touch him - anyone - was impossible to hide, much like that smile she always had for him when she looked his way. Even with his teasing comment, Shionne laughed softly, her free hand reaching up to touch his cheek, gently. "I can't help it," she admitted sheepishly. "This is ... it's like a dream come true..and I can't help it." He was always going to point that out to tease her wasn't he? "Everything is actually behind us now, and we can ..have a future together. Properly." Ahem. She still glances aside a bit, a little embarrassed at saying that much.

Alphen let out a soft chuckle and pulled Shionne even closer, his smile warmer than ever as he leaned in close to ghost his lips over her cheek.

"It might feel like a dream but it's very much real." He murmured softly. To be honest once things truly settled down, he could not wait to just take Shionne and just leave everything behind for a while. Sure they'd keep track with the rest of their group but the wanderlust with Shionne now that they no longer had a world to save or a curse to undo, was quite strong indeed. Since they had a whole new fused world to explore and see and then finally find a place to settle down in.

Shionne leaned into him, and gladly, smiling at the feel of his lips brushing so lightly along her cheek. "Haha.. I know that, but.. i can't help but feel like one day I'll wake up and this .. everything was a dream." She nuzzled closer, tucking her head against his chest. "And I don't want to ever lose this.." Not now that she had a taste!

They were lucky that their friends were letting them recover in peace and fielding the majority of those who wanted to ask what was going on, or those who were completely confused by the changes -- not to mention the revelation about the Renan and Dahnans... ah.. Shionne did not begrudge Kisara or Dohalim that job. ".. I feel a little guilty being this selfish though.."