I Of The Storm

[Makai Dashiell]

[SIZE=11pt]While it may have felt like an eternity in reality the kiss didn’t last long. Lips broke apart and Koa’s meowing finally reached his ears. Scale-speckled hand went to pet the Loth-cat, paying attention to scratch behind the chubby creature’s ears. Iced azure eyes took in Ellie once more, noticing the light flush on her face. Was it from the cold or his kiss? He couldn’t tell - on one hand he didn’t get a swift kick to the groin or a push away. On the other Ellie had been so hard to read lately, well, ever since their first kiss anyway. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Sometimes it was easier when she yelled at him. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“Ellie, I’m sorry. I’ve been acting like an ass toward you. Its inexcusable.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]There was a pause. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“You shouldn’t have had to come out here and chase me down.”[/SIZE]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

This was a moment where it likely would have been great to say something, anything really. The problem being that Myra was still reeling from the kiss and Makai suddenly saying that he’s been acting like an idiot. Only to follow up that she shouldn’t have come all the way down here and chase him down.

That triggered her. Well more like snapped her out of her reverie so that she could finally breathe - and get some much needed oxygenated blood to her brain - and finally speak.

Well more of a croak turned half grumble. Her brows slammed forward and she took a deep breath - cause she needed it of course. As if Koa felt what was coming, he gave a fat wiggle and a meowl.

“Yeah!” she began, half struggling with what to say. This had been way easier on the trip here than in the moment. “You damn well right I shouldn’t!” pause, huff, and anxiety made the young girl squeeze the Loth-cat in her arms. Another low meow in protest.

“Koa didn’t appreciate just being left behind!” abruptly the cat was shoved into Makai’s arms, Myra’s face flaming red. Of course, there was more that what it seemed with what Myra was saying but the younger girl didn’t quite handle communication well.

“You just up and left! Just… just…” her lower lip gave another wobble. The heat of her words waning as she said,” left us behind.”

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Myra Elspeth"]




Makai suddenly had to juggle the extra jacket he brought for Ellie and his chunky Loth-cat. Clearly the teenage half-Galan was struggling for a moment, trying to physically manage Koa and listen to Ellie’s words at the same time. Koa settled against his chest, snuggling down against the warm jacket and giving a chirpy little meow to Makai. Clearly his own pet had turned against him and was now firmly on Ellie’s side.

Little traitor.

Ellie was red faced across from him, giving a piece of her mind. It seemed she was struggling a bit. Makai knew the girl well - she had practiced these words on the way over, intent on setting him straight. Fiery hot, he watched those gray eyes turn into a tropical storm before waning, uncertainty entered. Ellie’s words grew less fiery, more emotional.

Yet it was those last three words that shattered him. Left us behind. Makai had thought he was doing the right thing at the time - sparing Ellie his problems. He hadn’t wanted her to see his insecurity. Didn’t want to use Ellie as a crutch and rely on the girl for his happiness.

“Ellie.”

Makai hated to see her anything but happy. Especially for reasons he caused. Koa was shifted in his arms again, giving a small grunt of protest. The half-Galan reached out and took her hand, hoping she wouldn’t jerk it away.

“I didn’t want to leave you two behind. I-I did it for stupid reasons. There’s a lot going on with me and if I have to be honest, I thought you deserved better. I love you...but….I also thought you needed someone better, not some kid with a million insecurities. I didn’t want you to convince me otherwise.”

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Now, this was the part that made absolutely no sense. Okay, I take it back, everything pretty much just didn't make sense, Myra mused, the hot pinpricks that had stun her eyes making it difficult to focus on the younger Dashiell's face. There was just too many emotions to process at the same time; frustration and shock, surprise and confusion, hurt and longing. The trials and tribulations that adolescence brings that can only be cured by experience and time.

"I.. You... what?" Myra's face contorted in the cocktail of emotions, the young girl trying to make sense of what he was saying. Well at least he was admitting that what he did was stupid. That was rather obvious. It was the rest that just didn't make sense. That I deserved better?

How? What? Huh?

The more seconds passed by the more comical the expression settled upon Myra's face. Brows draw, mouth half open only to fall shut, eyes wide only to squint.

That I needed someone better? What the-

"What?!" she repeated again, voice hitching in volume. Koa gave another yeowl. "What do you meant I needed someone better?" that didn't make any sense.

Nevermind that the louder squeak of the exclamation began to draw attention to the pair.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Myra Elspeth"]


Shoulders immediately slumped as Ellie started to talk. The gray eyed girl didn't even acknowledge the fact he just said he loved her. No beat skipped, no questioning regarding the fact, no declaration of her own. Makai had so been sure before she had arrived - why else would she travel through dangerous territory to come see him? To yell? Why yell if she didn't care? Confusion and self doubt swirled through him, trying to make sense of her motives.


Makai was so wrapped up in trying to figure out where he went wrong he already missed parts of the conversation.A second high pitched 'what?!' pulled him from his thoughts.


"It doesn't matter Ellie. Just forget it."


Iced azure eyes caught a few stares. One of them the spaceport authority. Makai didn't need the trouble. Hand scratched Koa behind the ears to quiet the creature, eyes coming back up to look at Ellie once more.


"You wanna come back to my place?" Makai had to contact her Ma after all. "Its warmer, less stares."

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

[SIZE=9pt]Thus, the continued chaotic mess of misunderstandings and lack of effective communication would prevail between the two teenagers. Neither were at the stage where either could properly convey what they felt for each other or had the patience to listen. Self-consciousness and a lack of confidence would inevitably made them their own worst enemy. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]All Myra could see was just the sudden change that came over Makai. The slump of his shoulders, the emotional withdraw, the way he had a pained expression that only seemed to turn to disconnect. Then again, those same words that gave the implication of just cutting her off -- It doesn’t matter. Just forget it.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]That was the thing, she couldn’t just forget it. How could he ask her to forget it? Why couldn’t he just be clear with what he was saying? Why did he have to be so difficult? [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Why --[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Even better, he didn’t even seem to be listening. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Just… forget it?” she repeated as if Myra couldn’t believe him. I came all this way for that? Was that really -- A nerve along her jaw gave a sharp jerk. In her chest, she felt a similar ache. Awareness that they were getting a few stares managed to reign in her words, but in an echo of Makai, she took internally drew back.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Fine,” she added, that intense desire to step off and just walk taking over. So she did, taking control of Koa again to just start walking.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Nevermind she had no idea where to go. [/SIZE]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai stared at Ellie, confused. Why was she suddenly angry? In his opinion there was nothing to be angry about. She was the one that didn't care so why bother getting upset! Hand ran through his hair, annoyed with the entire meeting. Ellie was always calling him and idiot but maybe she should start looking in the mirror.

Makai watched her walk away, to where he had no idea. The teenage half-Galan was tempted for a moment to just let her wander off. Of course he would never let that happen - even if she clearly didn't love him Makai was still head over heels. Besides he had made a promise to [member="Danger Arceneau"] to keep an eye on her.


Long legs made quick work of closing the distance between them. Jacket that was in his arms was suddenly around her shoulders. His hand disappeared into his own coat pocket and pulled out his only pair of gloves. Makai considered himself a gentleman and no way was he going to let her freeze to death.

“Hand me Koa so you can put the gloves on.”

Eyes avoided hers but he reached for the Loth-cat.

[member="Myra Elspeth"]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

It was the sudden drape of the jacket that prompted Myra to stop. The heavy weight fell over her thin shoulders, shielding her from the cold, still warm from Makai's body. In the seconds between storming off and now, her eyes had caught a red tinge. Not that it mattered anyways. Makai wasn't even looking at her at all now. He was staring at the ground, at Koa, at everything but me.

The knot in her throat grew.

"Fine." she added, although part of her didn't want to give him Koa. The Lothcat had felt as a form of protection. Warmth. Security. Something she wasn't feeling with Makai. Not in the way that she feared for her safety, but just in the manner that it seemed more and more that she just couldn't get a read on the younger Dashiell. Everything she did, everything that he did, just seemed to be getting worse. Falling apart.

I don't want that.

Myra hated feeling like this. It made her feel helpless. As if there was no way to properly get Makai to understand.

Koa's pudgy body was transferred to Makai's hands, and much like Makai, Myra avoided staring up at the half Galan's face.

Why did everything have to be so difficult?

Why did everything seem to be falling apart?

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai busied himself by holding Koa. It seemed even the chunky Loth-Cat could pick up the tension between them. It was clear the Loth-Cat was already extremely attached to [member="Myra Elspeth"] .Koa pawed towards the girl as she put on the gloves, giving a pitiful meow as if he wanted to go back immediately. Makai kept a good grip on the creature, not wanting him to get loose in the space.


Great, even my own pet hates me now.


One hand firmly tucked Koa against his chest, keeping the pudgy creature in one spot. Other hand reached out to fix the collar of the jacket. He was looking at Ellie was she was avoiding his face, watching her movements. There was a sigh, why couldn't things be easier? Was it always this horrible once you kissed a girl? The transition from friendship to something more serious wasn't as smooth as his mind imagined it.


Makai finally caught her eyes, noticing the redness. If he didn't already feel like a jerk he did now. Cold hand tipped her chin up to look at him. Knowing Ellie was already on edge, Makai tried keeping his voice light. Everything he did was wrong, hopefully this wasn't either.


"Hey" A pause, searching her features. "Are you crying? Why? Ellie..."

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

NOW, he wanted ask questions!

Feeling his fingers curl to tip her chin only made Myra all the more obstinate in not looking up at him. It was silly. It was dumb and idiotic and vindictive and full of all the reasons that made her act exactly like a teenager acting up, but she couldn't help it. Makai had wounded her with his actions and now he was acting off and to be frank, she wasn't exactly innocent of making anything move smoothly.

"I'm fine," she managed to mutter, doing her best to try and move her chin from his grasp. She was being childish and she knew it, but somehow couldn't stop herself from doing so.

"Let's go." the girl added, glancing away and to the right away from the younger Dashiell. If she looked into those ice blue eyes again she was going to start crying and wouldn't be able to stop. Childish pride made her bite her lower lip to stop any wobble.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

Makai dropped his hand looking dejected once again. Why was she shutting him out again? Everytime he thought a small amount of progress was being made there was a landslide back to the beginning. Sometimes she was acting like they hadn't been friends for most of their childhood.

“What do you want from me? You let me kiss you. I said I love you. I don't know what else I can do besides beg.You're messing with my heart and it's not fair.”


Makai tucked Koa closer to him and zipped up the jacket. They would have to hit the surface streets due to Ellie's anxiety. Snow was falling thick and fast as he pushed out the door. He expected Ellie to keep up - after all she was fine. It shouldn't be hard though, the cold tended to slow him down and make him sluggish.

Head ducked down against the wind as he began to navigate the sidewalk.

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

"I -"

Her mouth fell open. Again, much like a fish, Myra was left gaping after Makai. Much like she had earlier, he'd sidestepped around and gone out the door, snow flurries swirling in his wake.

What do you want from me? You let me kiss you. I said I love you. I don't know what else I can do besides beg.You're messing with my heart and it's not fair.

Those words went echoing in her mind, the chill of the air hitting her, making her shudder. Her arms came up to wrap around herself, the girl froze in place for what appeared to be a few seconds.

Here she was again. Getting tossed all over the place, her emotions swinging from one extreme to the next. Much like Makai. She could tell he was angry. He was hurt. He was confused and so much more in that. So was she.

Her throat felt as if it grew a tight knot. As if she couldn't speak. Her head fell forward, the strands of dark hair shielding her face like a dark veil. In that moment, she felt like that lost little girl in the past. Anything she happened to say just made things worse. What was the point?

Guess there really wasn't one.

Only the howl of the wind came then, the young teenager following quietly behind.

Sometimes, the greatest journey is the distance between two people.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[SIZE=11pt]Koa gave an angry mewl, clearly annoyed by the cold weather. Much like his owner the pudgy little Loth-Cat was used to tropical breezes and warm temperatures. Boxy head tucked deeper down into the jacket,trying to burrow further. There was no sense in trying to comfort the creature - both pet and owner were similar in their misery of cold temperatures. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Makai was thankful he had started out before [member="Myra Elspeth"] . Hot tears had fallen down his cheeks and his free hand came to wipe them away. He didn’t want Ellie to see and he tucked his head down further against the cold. Lucky for him the weather could easily explain away many of the regular tell-tale signs of his tears once they were at his place.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]True to form he did slow down due while trudging through the thick snow. It didn’t take much longer to reach the apartment complex, the large building looming in front of them. If the weather was more clear it would be easy to make out part of the military base in the distance. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Looking back to check on Ellie, Makai held the door to the warm interior. He was shivering off the charts now, mentally cursing the fact he had rushed out without bothering to put on more layers. Then again, would more layers even help? Eyes avoided Ellie’s as she entered, quickly following behind to get out of the cold. He motioned to follow and soon Makai was using frozen hands to open the door. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Koa was let out of his jacket confines and immediately pranced around the the pair until the chubby creature saw the couch. Leaping up, the Loth-Cat disappeared underneath a blanket left strewn on the couch, his head finally finding its way out before settling down.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Snow boots were kicked off next to a pair of shiny black combat boots. Makai finally managed to glance in Ellie’s direction. They were going to be stuck together for a few days. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I’m going to make you and Koa breakfast….if thats okay? Uh..Um.. I-If you need another sweatshirt or somethin' just look in my room and take what you need..."[/SIZE]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

Myra was shivering from the cold as she went into Makai's apartment. Well, more of a suite than anything at first glance. Large gray eyes spread wide, the girl shuddering under Makai's coat, coming to a stop halfway in between the small living room. It was then that she caught sight of another door. It was closed but it could very well be his refresher. She'll learn later that it was actually his bedroom.

Lower lip quivering, Myra did her best to try and focus on being warm and whatever Makai was asking. Something about breakfast and his room.

Guess that must be it, she mused. Either that or the refresher. Long lashes gave a quick flutter, another shiver rushing down her spine. She hadn't expected it to be this cold. The last time she'd been at a place this cold had been on Drumond Kaas -- the place her parents had died. The entire planet had been a nuclear wasteland, the sheer mass of sediment blocking out the rays of the sun, making the surface nothing but frozen tundra.

It seemed so long ago at times.

"O-okay." she managed to croak out, shivering again. Although she couldn't quite find herself able to move yet. Her mind was still going a mile a minute while her body suffered under trying to warm itself up again. At least Koa had his thick fur and a functional layer of chubby fat to keep him warm. Myra? Not so much.

All the while, the young girl was fighting an almost inevitable fight between trying not to look at Makai and trailing after him.

This was all turning into a big mess wasn't it?

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[SIZE=11pt]Makai was trying to thaw out himself,frozen hands working on his jacket. Outwear was going on a hook up the wall, his snowpants soon following, revealing a pair of lobster-themed lounge pants. He was still a kid after all, an aquatic one at that. Eyes dared to glance over to Ellie once more. She was standing and shivering and looking more than a little uncomfortable. Makai could certainly sympathize, he hadn’t gotten warm since arriving in the area. Even with the heat blasting in his place he never felt warm enough.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Typically he would do something about his friends plight. The part of him that had sat through endless hours of romantic movies with Ellie wanted to make a grander gesture than just a sweatshirt.Breakfast in bed. A day curled up on the couch together underneath all the blankets he could find as he commented on her viewing choices. Glaring while he ate ChocoChews. Something.Anything.It wouldn’t matter as long as the normally chatty girl was actually speaking to him. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]I’d probably find some way to mess that up too. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Makai could barely move while the silence stretched on between them. It wasn’t something he was used to when they were together. When Ellie was young and mute, he filled their days with one sided anxiety-fueled chatter. Once she could speak and their friendship had cemented, Makai had quieted down and let his friend take the reigns, Ellie becoming the vocal one of the two. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Shoulders slumped again as anxiety welled in him. Ellie easily made him feel like a lost little kid all over again, feeling the desire to follow her around and win her approval. To impress her. He had been trying to impress her for years, his efforts only ramping up within the last two. Makai wanted to tell her he joined the Iron Empire to impress her, to show he could grow up and take responsibility. That he had been working hard to take over the reigns of his own company in the future. Anything to shake the impression that Ellie saw him nothing more than an annoying older brother. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“Ellie, why are you here? What do you want? I...I’m confused. You come all this way to see me and then this happens.” Breakfast making forgotten, anxiety getting the better of him. Before Ellie left Makai wanted all the questions answered he didn’t get answered with his Ma. He couldn’t do another decade of self-doubt and guessing. “We...you and me, we used to be really close. You know me better than anyone, we’ve spent our whole childhoods together. And then, then I kiss you. When that happened….it was everything I expected...then we went sailing and we kissed some more, I thought all my boyhood fantasies had come true….”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Makai was rambling on, sounding like his eight year old self, having a one sided conversation with Ellie all over again.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“Then I mess up...I mess up real bad and I make you angry. I make myself angry. I don’t know how to fix it. If I could I would have already fixed it, I even asked your Ma for help but that wasn’t any help. I don’t expect you to be happy and I’d hate myself too. Hell I do hate myself.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Hand rubbed against the back of his head,unsure.[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“Just….if you don’t want to see me again….I just want to know why before you go. I won’t stop you, I...I just need to know this time.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt][member="Myra Elspeth"][/SIZE]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[SIZE=10.5pt][member="Makai Dashiell"][/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Now that was a way to turn the young teenager into a mute, frozen shadow of what Myra was before. With every word, every frustrated gesture, every rake of his blue speckled scaled fingers that ran through his beautiful dark hair made Myra’s grey eyes grow wider and wider. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Such was her stunned expression that the young girl came to a pause at removing Makai’s raincoat. Instead, her fingers had curled into her fists, tightening around the thick fabric of the jacket. That knot in her throat that felt as if it was about to choke her? Yeah, it grew even larger, almost as if suffocating her place. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]All she could do throughout Makai’s diatribe was stand there. Perhaps a flaw of her inexperience of youth. For certain neither were at all emotionally stable when it came to relationships; neither really had any experience and Makai was still suffering from the fallout of his mother’s abandonment and sudden return back from the dead. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Part of Myra wanted to tell him to stop. To shut up. To just stop being an idiot and listen to her. Another part of her was afraid, frozen in place, unsure of what exactly what to say. She wasn’t completely innocent or free of the stain of guilt or free of blame. She too had fed the vortex of a confounding series of events that led them to where they were now. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Her eyes felt as if they were stinging again. It took her a bit to realize a fine shimmer had come over them, blurring Makai’s frustrated visage into a watery form. He spoke of how he felt and it was achingly similar to how [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]she[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] felt. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Lower lip trembling, Myra took a deep, shuddering breath. Maybe it was that growing, festering frustration that came bubbling up that did it. Or maybe it was desperation. Either way, [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“Stop being an idiot!” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Not one of her most proudest moments, but hey, desperation is a thing. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“I don’t want you to leave. I don’t want you to go. I don’t want you to stop talking to me!” maybe starting it finally made it all bubble out.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“That hurts.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]A hard swallow bobbed her throat. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“I don’t want you looking at other girls. I don’t want you saying you’ll stop kissing me. I don’t want you looking at me and ignoring me and thinking i’m just your best friend.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]Her voice fell and octave, shoulders sinking a bit.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]“I don’t want to just be your best friend…”[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]“I want you to see [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]me.” [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] as more than just the girl who followed you endlessly like a lovestruck girl while he gabbed on endlessly. [/SIZE]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[SIZE=11pt]“I’m not sure I can stop being an idiot.”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]It was a lame attempt to inject a bit of humor in an otherwise rough situation. Hand rubbed the back of his neck again, this time a little more weary from his vulnerability. He hadn’t intended to get off on a anxiety fueled babble fest but everything had just spilled out. Thankfully Ellie had stopped him before he got too far into it. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]Surprise flickered across his face for a moment. Makai hadn’t expected Ellie to feel nearly the same he did. There had been some indications that she had feelings for him but his own doubt had been clouding his eyes. Iced blue eyes watched as her shoulders slumped and mirrored his own actions not long ago. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]He crossed the small distance and carefully pulled Ellie against his chest. Scale speckled hand rubbed her upper arm in a comforting gesture. There was a bit of relief to be on the same page, or relative same page. Ellie didn’t want to be merely his friend. It was thrilling and frightening all at once. Like diving into dark water. [/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt]“So...us then?It sounds fitting.Right.” Makai liked the sound of us, liked the possibility of calling Ellie his girlfriend. A smirk as he squeezed her lightly, teasing glint coming to his iced blue eyes. “So if you want me to see you, does this mean I can stop sneaking glances at your backside and just openly stare now?”[/SIZE]


[SIZE=11pt][member="Myra Elspeth"][/SIZE]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[member="Makai Dashiell"]

[SIZE=9pt]At this point, any girl would be internally screaming at the thought that their crush had their arms around them. To be fair, Myra was too. Mentally screaming that is. Just that it was also tied up in all sorts of other confused thoughts and stamped with incredulity. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]This couldn’t be happening. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]At least until Makai decided to speak again. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]So, us then? What did that mean? What did it signify? For now, all she could feel was the stroking of his hand against her upper arm. Feel the coolness of his scale speckled skin on her own. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]And did he just mention looking at my butt?[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Wait what?” Myra felt she was starting to sound like a parrot. Just echoing things back and forth. Her head pulled back, tipping her face up to look at him with a perplexed expression. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“You … were sneaking glances at my butt?!” another dose of incredulity. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]“Since when!?”[/SIZE]

 

[Makai Dashiell]

[member="Myra Elspeth"]


[SIZE=11pt]Makai thought Ellie would have taken his statement about staring at her backside as a joke. At the very least tell him to stop being an idiot. Instead she leaned back to look at him and ask follow up questions. He hadn’t expected that. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Since about last year. I’m surprised you never noticed.”[/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]The moment he really noticed was last summer. Not until Ellie had walked down on the beach in some navy blue swimsuit he had never seen before. The garment was far from revealing but still managed to get his attention. Makai had felt like one of those idiotic teenage boys in movies. At the time he felt like he was gawking way too much, barely answering her questions. Apparently she hadn’t noticed his gaze. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“Hey, I forgot to apologize during my lame attempts at making the situation less serious….Uh, I shouldn’t have gone weird on you. I’ve just had a lot sitting on my shoulders and this just kinda broke the dam, so to speak. Sorry.” [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]Makai didn’t want Ellie to think he was some jerk who just went from a serious moment to waxing poetic about her butt. Coping mechanism had kicked in, wanting to get an uncomfortable situation with the person he loved done and over with. To be back in blue skies. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=11pt]“I am happy you’re here. Been real lonely without you around."[/SIZE]

 

[Myra Arceneau Dashiell]

[SIZE=9pt]It was such a strange revelation to swallow. Well, register at least. That [member="Makai Dashiell"] himself had been looking at her in ways that --[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Wait, what did that mean exactly?[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] Suddenly, a whole new flood of questions came crashing into Myra’s mind. A mental self-checklist of her qualities came into play. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]I have nice eyes. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt] Was the first thing she thought. [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]My hair is okay[/SIZE][SIZE=9pt], was the second. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Of course, the pro list was rather short, as it would be for any self-concious teenager. The con one, however, well a little more lengthier. LIke the fact that at her age she barely had anything that could amoutn for breasts. Training bras were a thing, but they can’t train your body into growing boobs for your. She was adequately developed in [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]that [/SIZE][SIZE=9pt]department. She never considered about her butt. It was okay. I mean, for a butt. The only factor being that one couldn’t just objectively look at one’s own butt![/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]“...I shouldn’t have gone weird on you…” [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Makai drew her back from her little reverie. Really, if she wanted to stop the miscommunication, actually paying attention to him to what he was saying instead of fretting over her own physical characteristics. Likely a virtue that a few additional years might grow on her. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]“Don’t be stupid again.” Myra’s face had scrunched up at that last bit, the young teenager giving his chest another nudge. It wasn’t a light one, but more of a reminder. A light meow came from behind Makai then. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Koa again, not too amused at being ignored. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Just like Myra had been in the beginning. The excuse she had used to come flying across the galaxy to see the scale speckled Dashiell she was completely head over heels for. [/SIZE]