Chapter Text
It’s some weeks and several dates later that finds her excitedly making her way toward his wagon one evening, ready for another date.
Technically, it’s only their fifth date date, but they’re barely distinguishable from the not-dates at this point. She meets with him frequently to nerd out with him over magic, and while that certainly makes for an interesting time, they always begin and end the same ways—in each other’s arms, hands all over each other, and practically eating each other’s faces off, and the lessons themselves are only half spent nerding, the other half flirting.
And then there are the less frequent troupe meetings they attend together, meetings regarding the upcoming battle with Kalgratt, as well as regularly scheduled meetings over upcoming circus events. Those tended to be less fun, and certainly less flirty, though both of them fail every time to keep their hands to themselves. Afterward usually resulted in them going off somewhere alone, sometimes for a walk outside the circus itself, as far away as their tethers will allow, other times, up at the highest of tent pitches, legs swinging from the walkway. And sometimes, they’re too worked up from behaving themselves in public when they hadn’t wanted to, and he'd yank her into a private spot for a hot, fast flurry of kisses, hands, and press of bodies.
Every time usually leaves her curled up in his arms and legs, leaning comfortably against his chest, the conversations sometimes flirty, sometimes more serious, sometimes light, and sometimes darker. And sometimes…he’s dirty.
She stubbornly refuses to even think that word when he says or does something utterly wicked with that fine mouth of his. It’s become a game of theirs; she’ll flirtatiously call him ‘Mr. Sahed’ in reference to the role playing tease on their first date, he’ll make her positively squirm with the next words out of his face, and then she’ll dance around every synonym of ‘dirty’ known to her language just to egg him on.
Probably going to have to start asking him for synonyms in Ah’koni, she thinks with a giggle as cheerfully trots up his front steps. Knowing him though, he’ll just tell me their version of ‘dirty’, and I’ll be none the wiser!
That’d been a delightful tidbit to learn about him, that he’s fluent in his native language, one more or less wiped out, thanks to her own people making Ah’kon culture an illegal practice. He’d taught her a few words, a couple of phrases, and she’d butchered every one of them horribly trying to pronounce them, much to their mutual amusement. He’d then smoothly thrown out a line in Ah’koni, an utterly incorrigible grin all over his handsome face, and she’d known it was something gross. She’d promptly demanded to know what he’d said, and he’d laughed, then proceeded to tell her in a mix of Kalgratti and hot kisses that'd ended in a long, flat lick just under the edge of her scoop-neck blouse, and his hand pushing up her thigh and his fingers teasing under the edge of her stocking.
She’d been this-close to demanding he follow through on those kisses. She’d wanted him to. She’d wanted to yank his gorgeous mouth back up to hers, and tell him she wanted him. Instead, shyness had taken root, the words had caught in her throat, a blush had blown up her skin, and he’d backed off as he always does, dialing things down just a notch with humor.
And she’s learned she loves the hell out of him for that. He teases her, he makes it clear he wants her, he makes it fun, hot, and he makes her feel good, beautiful, and even sexy, but he hasn’t pushed. Instead, he seems content to run off her cues and his own manners, and let things happen between them as they will.
And her? She's learned he’s not a selfish man. She’s learned she can trust him, she’s learned she can trust herself with him, that he’s intuitive and just plain easy to be around. He’s easy to talk to, he’s easy if she gets excited about something, he’s easy if she’s in a terrible mood, he’s easy when she feels awkward, he’s easy to kiss, touch, tease, and flirt with, and he’s easy in her softer moments too.
He’s going to be real easy tonight, the gleeful thought flits through her mind as she knocks on his door. A blush warms her cheeks at that, and she bites her lip nervously.
She's going to tell him she wants him.
The door opening interrupts her thoughts, and the man in question appears before her, his bright eyes widening a bit as he sweeps her an appreciative look clear to her shoes and back up.
“Hello, and come here beautiful,” greets her cheerfully, and then he’s snatched up into his arms and not minding one bit about her squeak into his mouth as he kisses the hell out of her right there on his doorstep.
Man, he wasn’t kidding when he said we aren’t a secret, she muses, readily closing her arms around his neck, happy to let him pull her up on her toes as he deepens the kiss.
And he hadn’t. He’d wanted the magic lessons to remain a secret, having long since confided that it'd would upset Rainah, but them? No, he’d been open about that from the jump. The first date, he’d later admitted he’d asked Rainah if they could be alone, and every date thereafter, Rainah been all too happy to wave them off and make her exit. The circus meetings, he’d always stopped by her quarters first, and walked with her, he’d always lead her in to sit with him, and he’d always walked out with her just as they’d walked in. And he hadn’t slinked around in the slightest any of those times he’d stopped by while she’d been working with Kamille, stealing her for lunch and then bringing her back after.
He lets her slip back down to her feet, leaning over with her just enough to keep the kiss going a bit longer. She finally breaks away, feeling a bit breathless as she leans back in his hold, her arms loosening from around his neck.
“Why, hello to you too, Mr. Sahed,” she flirts up at him with a teasing grin, “and my, don’t you look handsome tonight,” she adds, dropping a hand down over his chest, her eyes following as she runs fingertips over his bared sternum. “I mean, you always do, but you look fantastic in red. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear it.”
He’s absolutely gorgeous, she thinks, gaze drinking him in. He’s wearing a shirt so dark and rich a red, it almost appears black in the evening light, and the neckline is deep and finely embroidered with a brighter red, black, and hints of gold. He’d polished off the look with fitted black pants and plenty of jewelry, positively dripping with milky moonstones and rich rubies.
Her gaze catches on the fat moonstone pendant hitting him almost to the middle of his chest. The contrast between the soft white of the stone against his deeper complexion is absolutely delicious, and she licks her lips just thinking about possibly seeing him wearing nothing but that pendant later on.
Though I suppose he can keep the ruby chain, the choker, and the earrings too, she almost giggles out loud at the thought, and bites her lower lip hard at the following imagery of him completely naked but for all the jewelry, and kissing every blessed inch of skin around it. Hell, he looks good, I want to eat him up right now on his doorstep.
“Red’s actually my favorite color, though no, I don’t wear it much. Looks better on you. I know my shirt would,” he flirts with a flash of his teeth. “And nothing else,” he adds, leaning over for another kiss.
“Mmmm, you disgusting man,” she hums between kisses, “and so rude, too, telling me my outfit tonight—which, I spent a lot of time getting ready, I’ll have you know—isn’t as pretty as yours—oohhh!” She yelps with a laugh as grabs her up again, devilish grin all over his handsome face as he backs up inside, kicks the door closed, and hauls her up against it, hands shoving her skirt up just enough to get it out of the way.
“That's not at all what I said, Miss Julia,” he laughs deep in his throat, his eyes dropping to her chest practically propped up into his face. “Now gimme them legs, girl, and let me show you just how disgusting and rude I can be.”
She immediately complies, tossing her legs around his waist and encouraging his kisses, mentally congratulating herself for her choice in attire as he happily helps himself along the sweetheart neckline of her dress.
He swirls a long lick under the edge of her bodice, then moves up to her shoulder, scraping his teeth over fine bones and nudging the sleeve of her dress over with kisses just enough to show off her bra strap.
He pauses, staring at that little scrap of light blue lace, features tightening as he licks his lips. She feels his fingertips digging into her thighs, and her heart flips in her chest.
She’d deliberately chosen to wear the undergarment, a pretty, feminine thing, with sheer cups and finely sewn lace detailing, and she’d worn it meaning for him to see it.
Though she hadn’t thought he’d see anything of it so early in the evening; they were supposed to go out tonight, they’d planned on attending the nightly bonfire get-together to live music, maybe drinks, and definitely dancing.
Now, she’s not so sure she wants to go. Not when he’s looking at her like that, not with his hands tight on her like this, and not when she’d rather he do something about all of it.
“Heh, you drive me fucking crazy, you know?” He huffs out softly, and then he drops his mouth right up next to the delicate strap, licking along the edge, grabbing it in his teeth.
“How crazy?” The words are out of her mouth before she can even think about it.
He looks up at her, bright eyes just goddamn impossible, an almost helpless smile pulling at his mouth. “Maybe crazy enough, I wouldn’t be mad at being stuck here forever if it’s with you?”
She laughs, and if it’s a bit breathless, well, it’s his fault, because his words had sounded an awful lot like a maybe love confession, and she’s just crazy enough to give him one of her own. “Same, I think.”
His brows pop up in surprise. “Yeah?”
She nods, then flushes, looking away, nervousness and uncertainty shying her off for a moment. What do I do, what do I say? I want him, I love him—but…what if…what if he’s actually not in love with me? What if I misunderstood him, and that’s not what he meant? What if he just meant he really likes me, and he really cares about me, or, what if he’s saying that because it’s what he’s feeling right now, we’re still so new… What if…what if he breaks my heart?
She pulls in a deep breath, gathers her wits and her courage, and looks back at him. He’s completely still, eyes locking in on hers, and she can feel his heart racing against her chest, and he’s just so achingly beautiful, she kind of doesn’t care in the moment if he winds up hurting her later on.
She smiles at him, pushing her hands into the collar of his shirt, running them over his chest, up over his shoulders, his back, his neck, up into his hair, loving the heat off his skin and the excited goosebumps shivering up under her touch. Whatever happens, happens, she decides, right now, he’s mine, and I want this. Maybe it’s only for a little while, maybe it work out, and maybe he’ll wind up breaking me, but for now… “Yeah. But—and hear me out on this—if we get out of here…what I mean is, we don’t have to be stuck here forever to be crazy together. Maybe?” She stumbles over her words and finishes in a rush, hoping like hell she hadn’t misunderstood him.
His eyes widen, and he swallows hard; she bites her lip and clenches her fingers in his hair to keep herself from leaning forward and tracing his Adam’s apple with kisses. “Yeah, maybe we could. Maybe we could just be stuck crazy and together after. I’ll take you either way I get you. If you wanted, that is,” he adds in an almost question.
Her smile grows until her cheeks hurt, and she could swear the entire world around them had stopped for a moment to let his words sink in. And then she tightens her legs around him, pulling him in hard against her, shifting into him and absolutely loving how his next breath hisses through his teeth with pleasure, how his hands flex and grab over her thighs. “I definitely want,” she flirts softly at him, sliding a hand forward to cup his jaw and leaning forward to tease an almost-kiss over his mouth. He chases her, and she giggles, teasing him further with a soft nip at his lower lip before pulling back again. “So, give me crazy together, Mr. Sahed. Give me forever, maybe? You can start by showing me just how dirty you keep promising me you are.”
He laughs low and throaty, and she shivers at the sound of it. “Show you, Miss Julia? Nah, visuals are definitely involved, but that’s more of a hands-on, interactive learning experience with this teacher. Highly immersive. Loads of practice, constant demonstration of skills, creativity encouraged.”
“Sounds delightful, Mr. Sahed,” she purrs over him, “and we both know I learn best through demonstration and…repetitive…hands-on practice.”
His beautiful eyes pop, and flush hits his cheeks, and she pulls his face in, fully kissing right over whatever he was going to say next.