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Piling into the mansion once Scanlan has it cast, is a welcome relief from the heat of the fire plane. Everyone else heads to their rooms or the kitchens straight away leaving her and Percy lingering in the front foyer.
She rubs at the phantom weight on her wrists from the chains, still able to feel them on her skin.
He seems to take no notice of her as he sheds his layers, coat first, then supply belt, followed by his vest, and shooting gloves while moving toward one of the marble columns next to the staircase and hugs it. "That’s better,” she hears him mumble. She can't help but giggle at the display.
Thinking that he’s probably right about this, it only takes a moment for her to decide to join him. Taking off her bow and other equipment quickly, as she moves closer he rolls his head around to watch her.
Yes, this is very good. The column is almost freezing against her skin. The cold even seeps through her tunic. She just relaxes into it.
They must stay like that for a good five minutes, not talking, just soaking up all the cold they can get from the column.
Sighing in relief, he steps away from the column and moves to lay down on the matching marble floor a few feet away. She watches as he goes to remove his pistol from the holster and instantly recoils, "Fuck!” Sitting up and waving his hand in the air for a second before laying it down on the floor.
"Too hot dear?” she asks as she kneels next to him. Grabbing his shooting glove and taking the burning pistol from his waist and putting it a little bit away from them on the floor.
He shakes his head, "I don't get it, brass conducts heat much more easily, how is this city standing? It must be enchanted somehow to withstand the heat.”
Being careful to avoid his burned fingers she takes his hand and starts casting cure wounds. “Thank you Vex,” he says looking down at their hands.
"I'm very glad your shooting gloves are so thick,” she says without thinking, and his head shifts up as she speaks. The look on his face, he’s confused, adorably so, with just a hint of red on his cheeks. "Your hands are important to me darling,” she explains.
"Are they?” he asks, more amused now that he's not in pain.
She can feel the blush begin to rise on her face as she says, "You're very important to me Percy.” There’s no point in not saying it now, being truthful about this is new and freeing, but in the same breath it makes her feel vulnerable, but somehow right now that is what they need.
Taking her hand property in his own, he brings it up to brush against his lips and gently places a kiss just above her knuckles. Their eye contact lingers on even after he's lowered their hands.
It's incredible how much heat she can feel coming from what now must be a very pronounced blush on her face. "Such a gentleman," it's all she manages to get out because her mouth's gone dry. Gods, she's a blushing fool, why did she say that? What is wrong with her?
But there's his smile, and that makes it alright again, calming all of her fears. Keeping hold of her hand, he begins to lay down again, back on the floor. In seconds she has joined him. Closing her eyes she lets herself enjoy the cool marble against her back.
After a few minutes have passed she can feel him shift; his thumb slowly begins to slide back and forth over her knuckles. She can tell that he's looking at her now, "You know, one day soon we are going to have a relaxing day off," he says it like it's a fact. She dearly wishes that he will be right.
Currently, she can't see past tomorrow and a day off seems like a dream rather than a possible reality, she’s unable to keep in a snort that transforms into a laugh, "That would be extremely nice darling, but have you met us?"
Turning to face him, she catches his eye just before he begins to laugh with her. He sits up and calms himself after a moment, through all this he keeps holding on to her hand.
When he drops it she feels a loss she wasn't expecting. Watching as he gets to his feet, he looks at her, clearly considering something, "Ummm," he pauses for a second, "Would you mind standing up, I have an idea."
Curious she stands, "What are..." she doesn't get the question out before he's stepping backward with one foot and bowing deeply towards her.
When he straightens, he reaches out a hand and asks with a charming smile on his face, "May this gentleman ask a lady for the favor of a dance?"
To match his movements she does a small curtsy before taking his hand, and without any hesitation, she steps toward him, he meets her halfway. His other hand lands on her hip and her own rests on his shoulder. There's a warmth to him that's comfortable, no longer burning from the city.
She feels him about to move them when she realizes what's missing. "But there's no music; we could find one of the servants maybe they..." Her words stop as he begins to hum a song she doesn't know, his head close to hers.
"Percy," it's all she has the time to say before he's leading her around the room, carefully guiding them beyond the piles of their things. She recognizes the dance instantly, one of the ballroom dances she learned in Syngorn, specifically the one from northern Tal'dorei.
Leaning into him more once she's confident of the steps, she rests the side of her head on his right shoulder, and moments later he switches the way he's holding her hand. Turning it and cupping the top of her fingers, he places her palm right over his heart. Gods, it's marvelous to feel it beat.
After a few minutes, he slows their progress, and she lifts her head to ask what's wrong but he's just smiling at her, the big, unselfconscious smile he gets sometimes.
The humming pauses right before he says, "I suspected you would know how to do this," his tone light and happy as he continues the dance.
"I was taught how to, and I've watched others..." She pauses thinking of the best way to explain this because he looks confused, "but Vax was always my partner while we practiced. No one has ever properly asked me before." Admitting that to him is good, she wants him to understand her, at this moment she wants that more than anything.
She watches as he begins to say something but stops himself right after. He just looks at her for a minute while they continue the dance. Finally, he leans closer and says very quietly into her ear, "You always have a partner if you want."
Well, she wasn't expecting him to say that. Looking at him again she watches as his face turns a delightful shade of red, clearly adorably flustered. She’d be able to tell that even without the rapid beating of his heart against her hand.
Perhaps he didn't mean for it to come out as he did, but somehow it sounded like he was offering her forever. She'll take him up on it, every possible interpretation of his words.
"We should join the others or something," he slows them down to a stop as he says it, but she's reluctant to end this. As long as his hand is at her waist and the other holds her hand to his heart well, she's not going to step away from this, from him. She's not afraid of this.
He begins to hum again, the same song as before. "Once more around the room darling?" she suggests, mumbling it into his chest as she relaxes against him, making her wishes clear, holding on to his shoulder just a bit tighter.
A gentle kiss is placed on her temple, she can feel the smile on his lips, and he lingers there, his humming vibrating into her mind. He begins to move, and she follows.