Shuffle

[Rowan Trace]

Rowan nodded, and after a brief pause, ducked to press a kiss to Shianni's lips. He took half a step back, wondering at himself, then turned to find his shoes and cloak in the entry room.

_______________________________________________________

The night had been insane. Rowan had met up with some of his friends at an abandoned warehouse filled to capacity with people, music thudding hard enough to shake you, if you held still long enough.

He hadn't held still. Even keeping the drinks to a bare minimum, the energy had infected him. He'd lost himself in the music, in the insanity, and danced until he knew he'd be feeling the ache for days. He'd had a little something, despite his original intention not to, but didn't give it a second thought once it was done. He wasn't drinking, and he could deal with a bit of a comedown.

The party was still going when a couple of Rowan's friends cried off. He'd considered staying just a couple hours longer, but when he heard the time, he reluctantly dragged himself away, still feeling it. He'd promised to be home by sunrise, and that meant slipping into the gates when they opened.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Shianni really hadn't intended to try to stay up waiting for Rowan, but had somehow ended up in the living room with a book open on her lap, reading well into the night before she fell asleep on the couch, curled into a plush blanket and small mound of pillows.

[Rowan Trace]

Rowan was still rolling enough to count when he opened the door and slipped in. The sun was hovering below the horizon, but wouldn't be for much longer. He'd kept his word, but just barely.

His shoes came off easy enough, but the swish of air when he removed his cloak was mildly distracting. He might have twirled it a little before hanging it up. Then he turned from the entry room to the living area, broad windows still showing stars, though a glow was visible behind the trees. He'd just sneak into his room and sleep for a few hours...

Or not. He was distracted again at a bit of pale hair visible over the arm of the couch, and then by his wife, asleep there. He suddenly wondered how her hair would feel with his senses as wired as they were. So soft. His fingers were in raptures over it.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

In Shianni's dream, an old friend slid familiar fingers through her hair as they talked about this or that, about a bright star and a silver unicorn with a rainbow horn and a black tail. There was nothing unusual about the touch, the two had spent hours fixing one another's hair while talking the night away. If anything, the touch felt too real, and that confused her and pulled her from the moment, away from a mountain top and away from her dream.

A soft sigh of contentment escaped in the moments just before she woke, then she lay, enjoying the feel of fingers in her hair. Finally, she opened her eyes and looked up, smiling when she saw Rowan. "Good morning," she said softly. "That feels good." What time was it? The oddity of Rowan seemingly suddenly putting his hands in her hair was overshadowed by the hazy enjoyment she got from it.

[Rowan Trace]

"It does," Rowan agreed, lips curving in mirror to hers. He paused, then moved around to kneel at the side of the couch, where he could touch her easier. "I like kissing, too," he admitted. "It feels weird saying that, but it's true." And kissing now would be even better. He wanted to touch everything, but he was in no hurry, and her hair was so soft...

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Shianni surveyed Rowan from beneath heavy eyelids. "I do enjoy kissing you. I'm glad this has worked out as well as it has," she said. She had long worried she would end up in a horrid marriage that she would loathe, but Rowan was quite the good partner. It was strange to speak of it so frankly, though.

[Rowan Trace]

"Me too," Rowan agreed. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I like you a lot." It was an understatement, but he didn't quite know the words. He'd been close to only a few people in his entire life, and after an entire year together, with as similar as they could be and as much respect as he had for her, he felt very close to Shianni. He wanted to feel even closer, and he leaned in for a kiss. Oh, he liked that pull. He liked how nice everything could feel.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Had it not been so very early in the morning and had Shianni not been woken up so pleasantly, she may have considered the difference that had come over her husband. As it was, she was content to accept the kiss he offered. He was far from a demanding man and, if nothing else, that made her more willing to go along with things, perhaps it even made her a little eager to. Besides, she liked him a lot, as well.

[Rowan Trace]

Rowan was feeling the need to touch, to slide skin against skin, to enjoy every sensation possible, and that need led the two of them into his bed. It made his heart swell just inviting her, and he savored every kiss, and every motion.

Early morning light was filtering past his partly-open door before they stopped, and he realized that at some point, anything he'd had in his system had faded. It was strange, very strange, feeling this, and not being overpowered by anything else, and not feeling the revulsion he felt when he was alone.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Shianni fitted herself against Rowan, for once enjoying the contact. The special warmth he offered different entirely from charmed sheets or floors. She quite liked it. "It's a bit different without a love potion," she said softly. There was something about it, it wasn't as desperate, it didn't feel like it was the first and only time. She thought she rather preferred this way.

[Rowan Trace]

"It is," Rowan agreed. This was so strange. It wasn't uncomfortable though, not really. He didn't feel the need to pull away, or to ask for privacy, even if the blankets were a godsend. Somehow he must have grown accustomed to physical contact over the past year, or at least to having Shianni near so often.

It felt as though he should say more, but his thoughts were returned enough for him to keep them silent. He'd kept going, and quite happily, though things had worn off. That said things that he was unsure he wanted to inspect.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Shianni shifted her head to better see Rowan's face and lifted a hand to press light fingers just below the piercings at his mouth. "I'm not too certain about these, however," she said. They had felt in the way, but that could simply have been because she was unused to such an obstruction. She had yet to decide if she liked the way they looked.

[Rowan Trace]

That pulled Rowan out of his thoughts, and he mentally pulled back. His snakebites. His lips curved. "I don't normally wear them anyway," he said. She would rarely see them. "I hadn't really expected... well, any of this." And yet, out of curiosity, he reached out to touch her hair again. It wasn't strange like it could have been. "It worked out though, didn't it?" he asked lightly.

[Shianni Veridian Trace]

Shianni smiled softly and sighed in contentment again at Rowan's touch. Her eyes closed. "Yes. I rather liked it, I think," she said. What felt like a confession brought color to her cheeks. She slid her hand down and settled it on his chest. It was strange admitting something like that and maybe thinking about whether it might possibly happen again in the near future.