Private Try to Remember That Kind of September

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Naedira Darcrath

His answer would take some time for Naedira to understand. Gerwald could not expect her to fully understand the changes happening in her body when he still did not. The wolf was not even sure Srina knew what the exact repercussions of her actions would bring about when she agreed to help him. What she was experiencing was confusing, and Gerwald could feel her confusion mixing with his own.

It seemed neither one of them would allow the other to be at fault. Gerwald shook his head slightly, almost mimicking the gesture Naedira had just offered. It was no more her fault than his if she wanted to see it that way. In the end, Naedira had made her choice, and Gerwald was the one who refused to live with it. At first it had simply been so he could voice his feelings, almost certain she would fall back into the arms of another.

That was the depth of his feelings. The wolf had fought hard to bring her back knowing that in the end she could have rejected him. She still could, though their bond would make it hard for her to pull away from him. Whatever he had thought, the wolf had been fully prepared to lose her, but had refused for death to be the reason he did.

"If it were that simple, if only it were that simple. However, I will let go of any claim I have to your predicament, if you let go of whatever blame you are placing on yourself."

The thought made Gerwald chuckle. Their roles seemed to be reversed from when they had first met. He had been so hard on himself, and Naedira had been the one to push him to see himself in a different light. She had taught him the Sith Code, part of which he had embraced almost immediately. She was strong and had made Gerwald stronger. Now it was his turn to lend her back the strength she had given him.

Naedira shut him up with a kiss. This time she held it, long enough to make him stir a little. How many times had he longed for these moments, to know the feel of her soft lips against his, or the way she tasted. Gerwald had wanted more, he desired more, but that carnal want was dangerous. He could not risk waking her wolf once again. Fortunately she pulled back before it became an issue once more.

He could still feel the possession in her. It was more than just a claim. Gerwald was not hers as though he were a thing to possess. He was hers. She was his. They belonged to each other.

Gerwald knew the word her desire suggested.

He knew what she wanted.

Naedira suggested that bacta spray would begin to mend the wound. Gerwald nodded. He was quiet for a moment, taking care to lay her on the bed gently. The wolf did not want to reopen the the cut or tear at the scab which was slowly forming. The bacta would help the platelets within her blood do the work they were meant to do. It would speed up the process.

"This is going to sting," he said returning with the spray, "and I cannot promise it will not scar."

He applied the spray and set the canister on the nightstand next to the oversize bed. Gerwald was not ready to leave her alone, nor did it seem she wanted him to go. Perhaps the she-wolf would remain calm if Gerwald stayed with her. Besides, if it tried getting out, Gerwald would need to be close by. Perhaps it was his excuse to lay in the bed beside her, not that he felt he needed on anymore. Regardless, it was his justification.

The ring Naedira had been bound to had been his to carry for a long time. Now that the ring was gone, she was his to hold. He would not leave her alone.

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

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Tag: Gerwald Lechner
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"Fair enough…"

Her voice would stir the long lengths of straw-gold hair near his neck but she paid it little mind while tucking her head against his shoulder. Once upon a time… She might have fought being carried. The thought of anyone thinking her an invalid made her skin crawl. But this was different. It was almost as if he sensed her need to feel safe, protected, from the confusion of the latest revelation. She absolved him of any sin without thought…But that didn't make it any less difficult to wrap her head around.

Her body swayed just slightly in his arms while he walked, even though, he was careful not to jostle her. A soft groan rolled through her when Gerwald set her down. She was so very, very sore from the wolf bashing around inside her body. Her ribs felt like they were bruised and made of matchsticks. She wheezed when she was flat on her back and had to prop herself up a little to ease the pressure. He returned with the bacta and a cloth to remove the rapidly drying blood.

"It's all right…I know."

Sting?

Oh, yes. Her eyes shut tight and she held her breath for a little bit too long while the medicinal properties began to take effect and jump-start the healing process. Air eventually left her lungs in an audible "woosh" while her head tilted back. Hells. That was unpleasant. Eventually…The pain began to fade. Decreasing enough so that she could sit up and dab at the edges of it with the damp cloth. She issued a little hiss here or there but was otherwise successful in cleaning it.

He stayed.

Naedira was content with his presence. Not only because she needed help with taping a bandage on but because he had become something she had never had. Not that she could remember. A place to call home. A place to be accepted, cared for, despite the horrendous things she had done beneath the thrall of the Devourers. He forgave her without question. Every hurtful word. Every time she had tried to cruelly push him away for his own safety. "Scars give character…Right?"

Her body was so new that until this point it was virtually unblemished. When she felt able, she scooted to the edge of the bed so she could get changed. "I'm sorry about your blanket. I'll try and get the blood out of it tomorrow…I'd do it tonight but…"

She was beat.

Naedira would spend a few moments dressing in a pair of loose pants and a tank top that he had chosen for her. His Empress had brought her a few, womanly things, but the overwhelming majority of her clothing had been chosen by Gerwald. Most of her possessions were only hers because he had either gone out of his way to find her storage or buy replacements. Some were fancy. Some, more pedestrian. The brush that she used on her hair was her favorite. Wooden and lacquered with some sort of symbol on it. It was a luxury to be able to brush her hair. Take a shower.

Anything human. She had missed it all.

When she reappeared not long later, she wasn't surprised to find Gerwald still there. It had only been a few minutes but the absence left her feeling bereft. Naedira braided her hair back in a thick rope that went down to the middle of her back. The young woman held her hand out toward him and silently invited the lupine to lay down with her. She wasn't asking that they do anything more than stay close…But it didn't make sense for him to sit up in the chair all night. Perhaps she felt his want. Perhaps they just wanted the same thing…Either way…She wasn't willing to let him go.

"…Stay."

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Naedira Darcrath

Scars gave character… Gerwald nodded in response. For a long time the wolf had managed obvious scars from his battles, but Naboo, the cataclysm, had left him marked. A long scar from his forehead to his cheek bone ran down his right eye. He had been fortunate the wound had not blinded him. Gerwald was no longer the unblemished wolf he had once been. Every bone in his body bore evidence of cracking or breaking. Gerwald had survived much.

Scars gave character, but they also came with lessons.

“You do not need to worry about the blanket.”

It was an involuntary response. Gerwald had spent so long taking care of her that he almost forgot that she also needed to take care of herself. She needed to regain her strength, and that would not come with his constant waiting on her. It had not been overly so, but the wolf had been slow to release his care when she was more than capable with many things.

He averted his eyes when she left to change. Humanity had taught him that nakedness was something special, a thing to be covered and honored. When he was with his kind the wolf cared less about societal norms. For some reason where Naedira was concerned he shielded his eyes from looking. He knew his wolf would have certainly been roused at the sight, but Gerwald was more than just a wolf. His desire was the same, however.

When she returned it was in some of the clothing he had provided. Whether it had been hers before or he simply purchased it, Gerwald had ensured Naedira would not have to walk around his home bare. He smiled, the bandage he had helped to tape to her chest seemed to be holding. That was good. As long as the bacta was effective the cuts would be healed by the morning.

He yawned.

Gerwald did not need a second invitation to join Naedira on the bed. Her prompt was answered instantly as he lay with her, holding her. The wolf kissed the top of her head once more.

“Always.”

The morning sun was always quick to stir the wolf. His morning routine was as close to religion as Gerwald got. It was a ritual, but it was also meant to satisfy the wolf. Today it would wait. His eyes opened to find the body which had been next to his when they closed still there. He could not remember the last time he slept so sound, so peaceful. Darkness no longer haunted his sleep. He no longer felt the chase of the Devourer at his back. They had begun to quiet since Naedira had been back, but being close to her had silenced them completely.

He smiled, laying still for a moment. It was a new day, a new opportunity.

His mind went to the events of the previous night. The passion they shared was not far from his memory at all. Her wolf captured most of his thoughts, as did the display of strength. Where Naedira had found herself broken, Gerwald knew differently.

She was not broken.

She was something new.

Gerwald simply needed to help Naedira discover what that was, who she was. Srina had told him she would not be the same person. Gerwald understood that more deeply now. There were parts of her that were, her personality still carried familiarity. There were other things which were new, birthed from mixing his nature with hers. They would begin the journey of discovering what all of it meant, what all of it was, as soon as they were ready for the day.

It would start with breakfast.

After the trauma Naedira’s body experienced she would be hungry. Nourishment would help her heal. The she-wolf would try to break free again, though Gerwald was satisfied it would rest as long as the sun was high in the sky. Daylight would be more important than ever, the precious hours of freedom to train, gain strength, to learn how to cope and control the beast she carried within. Gerwald was more than her anchor. He was now her teacher.

A tray full of eggs, breakfast meats, fruit, and other sources of the things her body needed was carried into the room. If Naedira was not awake yet, certainly the smell of the food would arouse her. If she had a wolf inside her, then she must have had the benefits as well. If Gerwald was correct, she would begin to have a sharper sense of hearing, better night vision, and a keener sense of smell. His proximity should have been enough to wake her if any part of the wolf was already awake.

“I have breakfast,” he said to help coax her awake. “We have quite the day ahead of us. It is time that you start training and get to the bottom of the changes which happened to you.”

He set the tray of food next to her.

“But first, let’s see if the bacta did its job, hmm?”

 

[Naedira Darcrath]

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Tag: Gerwald Lechner​

She woke up to the soft scent of breakfast wafting through the air. Her auburn hair took on a reddish tint with the sunlight streaming through the window, warming her body, but she couldn't bring herself to move just yet. Chocolate eyes were slow to adjust to the morning light streaming through the curtains. She felt a little clouded…But the night before was returning to her swiftly. She remembered being on the balcony. Kissing him, Gerwald, with more passion than she would have given herself credit for. Her cheeks flushed.

Where was he?

There was an emptiness that bothered her. Just as he had slept well…The young woman had slept better in his arms than she'd been able to since returning to the real world. Despite the animal he brought out from within her she never felt safer than when he was close by. It was jarring to sense him at a distance, even, while his scent lingered on the adjacent pillowcase. She found herself rolling over so she could press her face into it. Breathing deeply.

The attraction she'd felt steadily growing hadn't lessened at all. It pulsated with an almost magnetic force that almost pulled her out of bed. The only thing that kept her where she was the need to decompress. To accept and understand the newfound lupine curse that had suddenly added yet another layer of complexity to her existence. As the aroma of breakfast intensified she sat up and stretched with the silk sheet slipping down her form—pooling at her waist.

Her eyes were already on the door the moment he opened it. Relief touched her features…So much relief. As if his distance, even simply being in the next room, had left her with some kind of discomfort. Her sleepy features broke into a warm smile when their eyes met and she reached up with her right hand to her eyes. Still…So tired. When her gaze fell on him again, he would find that it was full of gratitude. A mixture of that, combined, with the undeniable allure of their connection. It was different now.

Even if she didn't have the words to explain it.

"I'm starving…", she admitted, offering him a grin, with an almost playful glint touching her eyes. "I could…Eat you up. Or the eggs…The eggs will work too."

Naedira patted the bed and bade Gerwald to sit with her. He'd brought so much to eat…What army was he trying to feed? Taking a bite of the delicious breakfast lent her a few more moments to contemplate her condition. The bond between them seemed to be growing stronger with every passing moment…But so was the sound of the wolf in the back of her mind. She was distracted anew when he mentioned checking her wound. With a grimace—She set down her toast and began to peel off the bandage with a wince. The tape was really sticky. "Ow ow ow…", she muttered, until she got it off. Surprise filtered into her.

There wasn't a scratch.

She touched her chest and looked back to Gerwald with some level of caution and disbelief. Bacta could speed up the healing process, but, it had only been a few hours. That didn't seem right at all.

"What…What did you use?"

Was there something new on the market that hadn't been available before her death? It wasn't unreasonable that technology might have advanced but it seemed like a bit of a stretch. Bacta was the best thing, had been the best thing, for centuries. Her hand moved slowly over the top of her chest before reaching for him—Bringing his hand to her skin so he could feel it too.

"Nothing. Not even a bump…"

Nothing but smooth skin.

 

[Gerwald Lechner]

WEARING: xxx
TAG: Naedira Darcrath

Her longing was nearly as thick as a heavy blanket of fog on a dark night. Gerwald could sense it as he stepped closer to the room. It was as though he could not move out of her sight without stirring the part of her which had tried to tear itself out of her the night before. Her wolf called to his as much as their bond in the force caused her aura to press against his. Their eyes locked, and for the longest of brief moments, Gerwald felt what stirred in her awaken within him.

It was dangerous. Whether Gerwald left the room, or remained, the pull to be near threatened to make them both insane. As quickly as the moment came, however, it washed away, leaving him holding the tray of food for Naedira to inspect.

“You could,” he questioned with a playful smirk.

The slip of her tongue had not gone unnoticed. It was more obvious than subtle. Her wolf was awake, or perhaps she was asleep and this was more Naedira than the beast. It mattered little to the wolf as his smirk grew to a full smile.

"I am happy to see you have such a healthy appetite considering last night's event."

Whether he meant the eggs she asked for or the other, he did not, nor would not, say. Gerwald simply let his smile and his eyes say what they needed to. Were it not for the she-wolf, they would both know the extent of their appetites, and whether or not they could be sated.

He sat at her invitation, careful to set the tray on the bed without losing the food which had been piled on it. In this regard at least, neither of them would go hungry. Even though she had not changed in the same sense as Gerwald had at first, she would no doubt realize all too soon how that would impact what she needed to eat. In short, she burned far more calories than she realized, and would continue to do so when they began their training.

“I just sprayed it with Bacta,” he said, snatching a piece of sausage and tossing it into his mouth.

He focused on the skin where the wound had been. His finger ran along her flesh, new, unbroken. Blue eyes lifted to hers as his hand returned to his side. It was palpable, and for a moment he could feel the temptation within him stir. Her curiosity and wonderment kept him still, even if he knew the wolf was not fully satisfied.

“It seems even though you cannot shift, you can heal.”

Gerwald realized the statement might seem cryptic, however he hoped she would make the correlation to what he was, to what she was.

“I have to shift to heal. Lupo and Lupine heal faster. Of all the traits I expected you to experience, this was not one of them.”

He ran the back of his hand along his jaw as he pondered what to say beyond the words which had just left his mouth. It was not fair to say she was Lupine, nor was it right to call her human. Gerwald also was convinced she was not broken, and did not want her to hold that lie as her truth.

Gerwald canted his head as he reached for her chin.

“You will begin to hear differently, pick up on scents you had not noticed before. When it is dark you may even see with a clarity you are not used to. Even when I am not the wolf I experienced heightened senses, but since you cannot shift yours may be stronger than mine yet.”

He kissed her cheek.

“Settle this in your mind, Nae. You are not broken… you are something new…”


“…entirely new.”