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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That would definitely surprise her. Just as it surprised her at the first touch of his hands on her shoulders. It was almost funny.. with as long as she'd gone without feeling anyone touch her like this, she never knew how much she craved the sensation. "Hmm..." she sighed faintly just from that feel of his hands kneading her shoulders - of course, not only is the sight of her bare back a temptation, he'd have to also content with hearing her moans when he got through the tension in her back and shoulders.

She was so effortlessly distracting but then he didn't want her to stop voicing her feelings either so Alphen found himself clawing at his own resolve to keep going. By some miracle he only occasionally found himself holding still before resuming to massage another part of her back always finding the most tense spots and loosening them so expertly that nothing but relief and a comfortable warm feeling was left in their wake.

"I really should have done this for you so much sooner. All this tension..."

She assumed those pauses were just from making sure he didn't hurt her, naturally! Occasionally he did find an actual tense knot before working it out again, but she muffled any winces she could. Instead all he got to hear were soft sighs- a slight grunt against the pillow once every now and again, "You couldn't before.." she hadn't realized JUST how tense she'd been all this time though.

Alphen shook his head. "I could technically before my helmet came off completely. But that's neither here nor there. I'm with you now and I will be sure to get you to have massages like this on the regular. I won't let you neglect your body like this going forward." He was absolutely serious.

She glanced over her shoulder at him, surprised, then quickly turned her attention away as if she wanted to hide her blush, "Nngh, you're.. not neglecting anything. It wasn't your fault - I didn't know I was that tense But.. it feels good.. what you're doing." she let another sigh from her lips, tucking her head a little against her arm. It was somewhat embarrassing too, but BOY did it feel good~

"As long as it is comforting for you that's all I could ask for." Well no that wasn't quite right anymore but he was going to slowly lead her into the true desires outcome. Because seeing her relax while making those enticing sounds with her voice was having quite the effect on Alphen.

"I love seeing you happy and comfortable. That's been a thing almost since they day we met." Well more accurately since the day she started treating him on a more cooperative footing.

She let out a long sigh, "Mmmh.. I didn't know how good it would feel.. but I don't know if that's because I've never had a massage.. or mmmh, if it's ..because of you." A little of both maybe, though she goes into a semi thoughtful silence at that latter comment, ".. you aren't exaggerating..?" From that far back, that he cared enough to want her to be happy and comfortable was nothing short of incredible. And she'd never even known.

"I'm not kidding. Seeing you hurt or sad made me angry and frustrated in that order." Frustrated because he didn't quite know how to cheer her up being a slave for most of his life as far as he remembered. Plus there weren't many women in the slave pits either and most of them didn't interact with the miners either.

"You were someone truly new in a monotonous life I thought I could only endure until the day my strength would fail me or I end up pissing off the wrong guard."

Shionne let out a surprised little squeal when Alphen touched upon a knot in between her shoulder blades, and then uttered a sigh again, "Hnn..." Actually him saying that made a lot of sense now that she had the context for it. So much so she felt almost the fool to have not noticed sooner. Granted there were times she got an inkling that he might have felt something for her - but with her curse in the way..

"That's why you got as angry as you did in Niez.." More of a confirmation than question - she's had that conversation with him before. "..at the time I thought it was just because we were companions.. allies.. party members and not...mmgh.." Give her a second, she almost melted under his hands there.

He chuckled softly at the variety of sounds he was getting out of Shionne right now. He could feel the way her tension was just seeping out of her body now and that put a smile on his lips as he continue his work and the chat in the interim.

"I thought it was that myself. But in hindsight I can't think of any other explanation that makes things connect properly."

"Hindsight..rmnn.." She tilted her head a little so she could look at him slightly, "I suppose a lot of the little things you do make more sense in hindsight, now that you mention it." The way his smile slowly seemed to change when he looked at her - when he called out whenever she was badly injured...ah... she muffled another moan and glanced away sharply, hiding her face as the blush stealthily crept up her neck.

Nevermind the way he screamed her name when she fell - she's done it too. And when they were attacked by Vholran and she thought .. oof. That was perhaps the most terrifying part of her journey with them.

Feeling almost instinctively that she was going down memory lane into some of the darker parts of their shared past, Alphen stopped his massage and rested his body on top of hers as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight but comforting embrace. No untoward thoughts behind it just being there to chase away those less than happy memories.

At first she did think it was some sort of sneaky untoward plan of his, but when he simply held her in his arms like that, she exhaled softly, smiling in spite of herself. Shifting a hand to gently reach up and touch his cheek, ".. how do you always know..?" It was uncanny the way he knew when she had an uneasy rest, or couldn't sleep, and came to find her - or even now when her thoughts slipped to less pleasant memories. He always, always seemed to know what she needed or wanted most.

"I couldn't tell you. I just felt like you needed this." Some things just defied words or reason. His feelings and his close attunement to Shionne seemed to be one of those things and now that the two of them had taken the big step in their relationship, the number of things he would be second guessing himself over before acting had dwindled to an immense degree.

She grinned slightly, "You were right," she admitted, "..I was just..thinking about things I would rather not remember." Blushing a bit more, she tightened her hand on his arm, "And.. it's still a bit surprising to me that I can have you do this on nights I don't sleep well. And every night - I can just curl up close in your arms, and be with you any way I want."

Alphen smiled adoringly into her cheek just nuzzling closer when she held him tighter. He would always be her anchor. Her sanctuary. Because he felt like that was the best role in the world. That being with her was the main source of joy in his life even over fancy weapons.

"Every night and every day. If you need me I will be there. I swear it." He smiled softly and pressed his lips to her neck again.

She let out a soft sigh, smiling at the feel of him nuzzling against her cheek. She let her fingers lightly brush along his cheek with an affectionate smile. "I need you.."

...

!!!

OHGOD did she actually just whisper that? He didn't hear it right..? He must not -- but he certinaly heard that soft noise that slipped out after that feel of his lips against her neck. Ggh, why did that make her so -weak-?

Oh. Ohhh that was quite the statement to just let slip like that but Alphen's heart still did a slight metaphorical loop. Alphen closed his eyes and leaned in closer still...

"I'm here. I'm always here, Shionne. Every day. Every night." he murmured softly tracing a kiss down her neck with each one as his hold on her body grew more....intimate. He had no intention of stopping this small burn if she didn't speak up against it.

Ah dangit it, he heard. Of course, there was nothing wrong with him hearing right? They weren't dancing around the subject of their love for each other anymore. Still - "Hnnn, A-alphen.." ... She hesitated a moment, because .. he was always there for her, it was true. And he always made her feel warm and loved, either from words, touches or.. or what he was doing right now as she was struggling to come up with anything else to say than his name, "Al..alphen... that.. you...." hurrglblerr goes her brain. She needed him closer.

How could he not though. As far as Alphen was concerned, Shionne needed him. Needed his touch. He needed her happiness and love. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer still. Until he could shield her from all of that dark memory that had plagued her past.

"Tell me what you need, Shionne~"

Irrefutable truth, that. When he pulled her closer, she brushed her hand against his cheek, admiring everything about him. Leaning into his embrace for several seconds, before the words slipped out before she could stop them. Though it's questionable if she would. ".. you. need you...so much it scares me." She paused, then shook her head, "No, not...scares." She would never be afraid of him. It was an entirely different feeling that made her heart race so.

"..excites... to be able to spend every night with you in your arms, and every day by your side. To be with you the way I've wanted for months.. it's exciting." Exhilarating. She can't help but look forward to what the next day will bring with him. "I want to feel you again.. and I want you to be with me." She could only be warm and loved when he held her, and she could only feel whole when she had him in turn.

Every word filled his heart with joy and love in kind. Even though she didn't really give him any direct way to go forward. But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. So he just slowly leaned into it. Into her. Because as far as he was concerned nothing was more important than Shionne. Now and always.

So after she was done with her slight rambling as she expanded on the answer more and more, Alphen claimed her lips with another kiss as he rested more of his body on top of hers. Not enough to press down on her too uncomfortably but she would undoubtedly feel every hard chiseled feature of his body against hers. That same body she had been yearning for so badly.

"I...love you SHionne. ANd every word you just said makes me love you even more." He purrs in that unfair voice so close to her ear.

Expecting her to give a straight answer is silly! He should know better -- okay when she's a little more relaxed in the relationship she'll probably be able to be more straightforward. She was just in the midst of the bubble of happy. She smiled as he leaned into it - her. She knew for certain she wanted to be in his arms and feel his body, after that .. she would let instinct go from there.

She'd have said more, but he cut her off with that kiss. Did he not want her to praise him and say how much she loved being with him anymore? Awww. But the trade off of feeling him leaning against her with just enough weight to not squish her or be uncomfortable had her draw her arms around him so he couldn't lean away as she pressed her body up against his slightly to return the kiss.

She never thought she'd appreciate his body as much as she did right now - she'd always appreciated his looks and his strength, but this was a whole other level, "I love you too, Alphen." Although She couldn't quite keep that slightly giddy smile from her face though, hearing that her words made him even happier. And that purr was DEFINITELY unfair from the way she pulled him more firmly against her body, "..would it be...inappropriate... to say that I need you even more than before..?" In general and.. in right now.

It is silly and he knows it. Won't stop him from wishing for it. But right now what they had right now was just enough to tide him over. Only barely though. Alphen nuzzled closer still and just melted against her ever so slowly. Why? Why did it feel so unbelievably to have Shionne so close? Maybe it was a consequence of having her taken from him once before.

Perhaps his own lingering scar from that chain of events but he did not let that dominate him. He would make sure she was never out of his reach again.

"I don't think that's inappropriate at all. I don't know much about relationships but I am pretty sure that's a normal thing to do and want between lovers."

She cupped his face between her hands, smiling up at him. "Good." She brushed her thumbs along his cheeks, ".. then tonight I want to be with you..and fall asleep in your arms." She doesn't have to specifically say what she means by 'be with him' right? Surely he wasn't that dense after all this -- well just in case, she was going to lean up to steal a kiss. Ambush!