Oblivious and Afraid

[Darlyn Excron]

How long had it been since the stay at the hospital ward, Darlyn's brain couldn't really remember. All it really recalled was talking at length, most days he was there, with Silfe. A calming presence if any really existed in his life, and someone who had been unusually seeking his company, though perhaps it was just in some desire to pay him back for helping her re train so she would remain safe. Today in particular, he'd invited her to Chasin City to continue practicing, and had spent most of the day helping teach her self defense, and further to attempt to gain some hold of her apparant sensitivity to the Force.

It had to have been a long while, Shoden was in charge of a country. Silfe, was in charge of a country. Darlyn was... still just Minister. Not that he felt like he had a short stick, he liked where he was just fine. Just, odd thing to consider wasn't it? In certain areas, both Silfe and Shoden outranked him.

Not many but some.

It was the end of today's session, several hours of practice, and Darlyn was resuiting up in his Mandalorian armor, having grown quite fond of it recently. "Well, you certainly seem to be getting the hang of things. I don't think it'll be too long until you're probably going to be able to handle anything short of a trained force user or veteran hunter. I think we'll have to try somewhere else next time... unless there's something else you want to try tonight?"

He wasn't aware she knew, of course. If he did, he'd probably hide.

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

In the several months since their stay in the hospital, Silfe and Darlyn had gotten together as often as their schedule could allow for training sessions. She ran a country, with all that entailed... political meetings with the King and Queen, meetings with various department heads in her country, tours of the land and it's people, implementation of improvements and repairs, finding funds for all of the above, getting Commenor's food supply back up to scratch, and figuring out her new place in this world. And [member="Darlyn Excron"] was Minister of Justice, likely dealing with a whole bunch of people, gangs and corporations who had taken advantage during the occupation and afterwards during the liberation. These days they were both quite busy but they found time. She made sure of it.

However, between their conversations in the hospital and during training sessions, Silfe had become aware of one thing... Darlyn didn't remember telling her he was interested. The man was completely oblivious to her knowing of his attraction. How then, should Silfe manage the situation? She could and had for the last few months, let him be oblivious while she thought about what she wanted to do with the information he had given her in his medicated state. It was obvious he wasn't going to make the first move, having had ample opportunity to do so since the first day they spent in the hospital... and maybe even before that. Silfe had no way of knowing how long Darlyn had found her attractive. He kept that information, like so much else, close to the vest.

And too, she had been wrestling with her own heart to determine if she was ready to open it to someone else. Her mystery few years was still an obstacle she felt the weight of every day. She had not talked to [member="Jairdain"] since the Ball a month previous when they had gotten their medals, their government assignments and she had found out that Jairdain had hidden the fact she had had [member="Bradshaw Ku"]'s baby. It wasn't that she was still angry, it was that she didn't know what to say. Who else but Silfe could understand the need to keep a child safe from their father and others?

Her mind had been quite occupied and now it was made up. The only thing she lacked was an opening. Finding it, she reached out as he started pulling on his armor and stopped the movement by touching his arm. "Yes, I think there is at least one thing I would like to try, but I need you to get close to me for me to practice. It might even make you... uncomfortable, but humor me?" She said with a half smile, half smirk. Inside, she was nervous as hell, but outwardly, she just seemed curious and challenging.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

This did catch him off guard, he wasn't quite expecting [member="Silfe Sosuri"] to physically grab a hold of him. Well, touch his arm, but he still didn't see it coming in the slightest. Nodding gently at the request, he set stopped the process of re-equipping his armor, and stepped a bit closer to her. "Alright, is this close enough?" He asked her, standing just perhaps a half step away from her, from his half step anyways. He was, still, completely oblivious to the motives and intentions of Silfe, believing her to simply be something resembling a friend and nothing more. Of course he found her quite, fun, and attractive, but such things weren't something he knew how to handle. There wasn't exactly a course on relationships in Sith training after all, and it wasn't like he could ever talk to his parents about it.

Besides, if he let her in who knew if she'd be safe. Or if he'd be safe. Loved ones made the worst traitors.

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

As he settled a half step away from her, she seemed to judge the distance with a discerning eye and shook her head. Silfe looked up into his eyes and with a herculean effort, did not look at his lips. She didn't want to give away her plan and he would likely run or have a chance to shut her down before she made her move. She didn't know exactly what he had been through, but he was the kind of man that apparently needed interest spelled out.

"I think you need to be closer for this to work. Maybe you should put your arm around my waist to balance yourself and me... perhaps your right arm? Yes, that seems best to get it just right." She lifted her arms a bit, hovering them over his shoulders so he would have room to get closer to her, hopefully bodies touching, or almost. They were both sweaty but it didn't matter to her. The heat of their bodies even this close meshed well together. Her heart started to move faster as her nerves began to worry at her mind. What if this didn't work? What if he got angry, felt used? Silfe shoved those thoughts away. Who knew if she would ever have a chance at this again if he ran? It was now or never.

[member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

There was an eyebrow raised at the requests given, what could she want from that? In the time it would take to comply, his mind raced to find the most logical conclusion. It.. seemed to be reasonable after thinking it over. If someone were to take her away again, this was a plausible thing to expect, perhaps she was hoping to try something to break free from it. Yes that made sense, she had almost as bad a habit of Kay when it came to being kidnapped. Well, thinking he understood her motives, he wrapped his right arm around her waistline, firmly holding her against himself. Not so tight as to hurt, but enough she would have to try to break free. That was suitable, assuming he was right. "This sufficient?"

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

She could see his mind working as to why she wanted to be this close. It's not that they hadn't gotten close physically while training, they had quite a lot of wrestling in their grappling matches, but this was different even if he didn't know it consciously.

As he took ahold of surprisingly tightly, her breath escaped her in a rush and before she could do anything to counter it, she blushed a delicate pink and felt heat beyond their training session suffuse her body. "Yes," she breathed. Their faces were so close she debated on telling him to kiss her... kiss her like she knew he wanted to, or to kiss him herself.

Now that the moment arrived she didnt know which was better. However she didn't have time to change her plan now. Her hands moved up around his neck as she tilted her head up, eyes closed, and to the side so that her lips touched his softly but with definite intention. He could not possibly mistake her now?

[member="Darlyn Excron"]

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Fight or Flight was only about half the responses to danger, or sudden stressful situations, that the body would go into. Two other common ones were Friend, and Freeze. Normally Darlyn's instinct was to Fight something, when it suddenly came to stressful environments, but here there was nothing to hit. And it was such an odd experience, the soft lips of Silfe lingering against his, the oblivious man now fully aware just what she wanted... so odd his body froze. The strong arm around her went rigid, like a statue almost, and she was pressed so tightly against him she'd no doubt feel his own heartbeat pounding against his chest. He was not prepared for this, he wasn't sure what to do, and even though he didn't pull away it was clear that he was, unsure.

He tried to get a word out, but the most he could get out was a choked "A-Ah...", verbal garbage that only served to fill the void of speech. What in the name of the Force was he supposed to do, why was she kissing him? More to the point, why did she want to kiss him? He tried to rationalize it again but this time his brain couldn't think of anything. He thought maybe she hit her head harder in the liberation than he thought, but that wouldn't do this... probably...

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

Silfe kissed him softly and felt him freeze up. Oblivious man was still oblivious. Or rather, he was starting to figure it out but he was trying to rationalize it away. Silfe stopped the kiss though she didn't move much away, just enough to look up into his confused eyes.

"Surely you can kiss a woman better than that." She teased with a soft smile. She could feel his heartbeat loud and fast matching hers. Her voice was almost a whisper as though she thought if she spoke any louder, she might completely scare him away. "Kiss me like I know you want to."

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Her words managed to bring him out of it, his eyes blinking a bit as he looked back into Silfe's steady gaze. He felt his breathing pick up for a moment, before it too steadied, and the words she gave managed to fully register. Was... was she challenging him in the same breath as she asked him to kiss her? That... helped. A lot. In fact he actually felt the corner of his lips curl a moment, smiling a bit at her methods, before he did just what she asked. He leaned into her, his lips pressing against hers this time. Soft, unsure, and evidently lacking in anything remotely resembling experience, but now he was properly kissing her. She'd asked for it, after all. How could he refuse such a polite request?

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

While it wasn't the romantic dip and deep plunging kiss of the holomovies, it was a purposeful kiss. She smiled against his lips and wrapped her arms around him tighter. Where he was unsure, she was solidly sure. It wasn't the best kiss she had ever had, but it did not fail to stir her heart and suffuse heat through her veins.

When she finally did break the kiss, she didnt look up at him right away. She wasn't ready to know of he had been humoring her or if he was genuinely interested. Silfe hadn't exactly planned for what might happen after. She leaned into him, eyes closed and forehead laid against his cheek. She didn't know what to say now.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

How long they kissed, it felt like years but the reality was more likely a few mere moments of contact. Sweet contact, the taste of Silfe's lips lingered even as she broke it, rested her forehead against his cheek. They'd passed a point Darlyn never planned to cross, admitting that they cared for one another, wanted one another. A meaningful and purposeful gesture like this, it couldn't very well be denied. Yet to be close to Darlyn was to invite danger, something Silfe may not even really understand the extent of. Loved ones were the worst traitors after all, and Darlyn's luck in that department had proven fickle.

What was he supposed to say. The responsible thing would be to push her away, gently, to try and keep her safe. He couldn't always be trusted, she could be made a target to get to him if he made any enemies, it was too.. wrong. That was the honorable, responsible choice.

Darlyn wasn't responsible, however.

He couldn't trust his words really, that might betray the fear running through his mind even more than Silfe's newfound sensitivity would pick up on. Instead, he let her have a moment to rest, to try and find a stillness in her heart to steady her nerves, before he tilted his head back to face her. A finger under her chin, slight lift, and he gave her a second, unprompted kiss. This time, it was far more certain than before.

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

She had loved this moment a thousand times on a thousand ways in her mind since Darlyn had let it slip he found her attractive. Her heart was still pounding and leaning into him she willed it to slow some. She may have been the one to make the first move but that didnt mean she was confident or that she wasn't worried. Him kissing her back had been a good sign, but he could have been rising to her challenge or humoring her.

When he moved to look at her, she felt her breath catch. His hand touched her chin, bringing her face up so that she would finally look up into his eyes. She hadn't expected the second kiss but it was a pleasant surprise that reassured her she had been right to make the first move, to force his hand so to speak. She kissed him back with more energy than before, blissfully happy.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

This one was a bit more, he didn't even really have a word for it. Something. More something. He was still no better, truth be told, but with both of them sure that this was what they wanted, the kiss was leagues beyond the first. Responsibility was tossed to the wayside, in favor of holding onto this moment with Silfe. His arms stayed much as they were, holding her to him firmly, though no longer rigid as stone, allowing a bit of breathing room. Just a bit, to let her hold onto this moment with him in comfort.

What felt like another eternity passed, and he let his lips part from hers. Finally strength came back to him, and he found his voice. "Well... that might just be the most fun we've had in a long while, wouldn't it?" A traditional romantic, one could not call him. Genuine, with delight in his voice dripping like honey, he was.

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

She was a bit out of breath when he finally broke the kiss. She hadn't wanted to be the one to end the second kiss since she had ended the first. Silfe burst into a short bit of laughter at his comment and nodded. Her chest rose and fell with her breathlessness.

"Not that I don't love tumbling with you in the spar room but I have to agree. I'm glad you came around to my way of thinking." She said challengingly. "Imagine all the fun we could have if we kept this up."

 

[Darlyn Excron]

"Don't tempt me, I haven't had the time to make safety precautions yet." Now if that wasn't the most on the nose tease he had ever made, well to be fair subtly and Darlyn tended not to go hand in hand. Still, point well and made, he lifted a hand up to her cheek and gently ran his thumb along her cheekbone. Perhaps it was just a trick of his eyes, having finally opened up to his feelings, but she was perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd seen in his life. At least that wasn't trying to kill him. "I.." He cleared his throat a little bit.

"I suppose that means I can expect to see more of you then? Outside the sparring room, I mean. And a bit less covered in sweat." It was frank, somehow both circumventing and also to the point, and most of all the most awkward way to ask if they were going to be dating now, but really if it was anything less than that it might not feel as authentic. Least to him.

[member="SIlfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

She pressed her body into his with a bit of a moan to tempt him a bit anyway. Her mind filled with some rather pleasant thoughts about the two of them. She couldn't stop smiling as his fingers touched her cheek. His touch was warm and felt good against her skin. Silfe leaned into his touch.

She laughed. Her mind was still in the gutter. "Yes... I should think you will see a lot more of me outside the sparring room. And of you se ALOT more of me, I am betting significant amounts of sweat will be involved."

She didn't know a lot about Darlyns experience and how he tended to like relationships to go. Was he the kind of man that liked romantic dates or active dates? Both? There was so much she wanted to know.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

Silfe before today was one beast to understand. Now she was, well just as vexing but different. It was like somehow her mind wasn't situated atop her neck and shoulders, but laying somewhere else. Somewhere less, clean. And it was taking a great deal of effort not to try and join her there, admittedly being so entrenched in his passions and darkside tendencies had downsides when it came to these efforts. There was no small part of him that wanted to simply take her up on the offer...

His voice remained steady, even if it was evident she was having quite the temptress effect. "Well... perhaps we will. It's not as though I live with anyone these days.. though I feel first... First you ought to clean up. You know.. so no one comments on it. Then ah.." Think think, what do they do in those stupid movies? "... Then perhaps dinner? My treat of course..." Yeah, smooth.

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

She knew he was tempted, could see it in his eyes and feel it in his body. His comment on living alone had her grinning. Even though he wasn't fully in the gutter with her, he wasn't too far outside it if he was thinking of taking her back to his place.

"You mean, we should clean up... shower separately to avoid..." she looked down at him and back up. "Temptation and then meet for a dinner date?" She translated.

 

[Darlyn Excron]

There was a quiet little swallow, as Darlyn made sure his voice wouldn't lose any sort of semblance of strength. "Yeah, that sounds about right. Think you can handle that, Lady Silfe? Or are you going to be having difficulties with that?" Hopefully just a bit of time to cool down would let her think with her head properly. Darlyn knew he'd have difficulty one way or another, depending mostly on her if he was to be truthful about it. With any luck, she'd be able to contain herself long enough to have a proper chance to, well, test the waters without the high of what just happened.. though he wasn't sure if he was more afraid she'd be much the same or far gone in the opposite direction. "You still do remember how to get to my office in the Palace, yes? We can meet there after we've had the chance to freshen up."

[member="Silfe Sosuri"]

 

[Silfe Sosuri]

"Mmm." She pressed her lips together as if contemplating. "Cold shower it is. Been a while since I had one of those." Silfe grinned and popped a quick kiss on his lips. "See you there in an hour."

As she left she had to wonder. Why was she so suddenly bold? Probably because she was riding high on her success. The prospect of a date with Dalryn had her nervous and giddy. Then the ultimate question... what should she wear? If she came on too strong, would he be turned off? If she played it safe would he get bored. There was nothing like the intricacies of dating. Having only done this once before and with someone who was the complete opposite of Darlyn, she honestly had no idea what to do.

An hour later, she approached the door to Darlyns office wearing an outfit chosen for the evening and her hair down in soft curls over one shoulder. Her hair was shorter than it used to be, coming only to her middle back rather than all the way to her hips as it had been before.



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