true love's first kiss

The room was dim, only lit by the flickering light of a single oil lamp, but, of course, Yeonaixho didn't mind. The light danced off his pretty, defined, anglular features, highlighting the variable planes of his cheekbones, forehead, and nose. When he moved his head, the light would occasionally catch in his cloudy, pale-blue eyes, and he would blink for a second, before refocusing and adjusted his position.

The room was small- a basement that had been subdivided into smaller cells used as hospital examination rooms in their rag-tag army's makeshift medical bay. They were in Cae Tel, and had been for weeks now. The air was drier here, the ground less fertile. Streaky moonlight, dust, and the sound of voices arguing in Malevtran filtered through the only small clerstory window above them. Unlike the raucous streets, the building itself was quiet- the occasional coughing of a wounded soldier, the wheeling of the nurse's cart, Yeonaixho's soft breathing and mumbling to himself as he healed her.

They sat across from one another, on the bed. Jymaiyri was still in half her army uniform- her jacket discarded to adress her wounds, her pants still on for her own dignity. Yeonaixho had taken off his outer robe. His skin was pale, almost bluish, in the moonlight. His fingers were splayed over her wrist, healing the burns she had gotten all over her arm earlier. It had been a devastating battle- a devastating failure. All they could do now was recuperate.

"I wish you would be more careful…" Yeonaixho muttered, tracing the scars up as he healed them. As his powers worked, his hands put off the subtlest, golden glow- not enough to light up the room, barely enough to catch the eye.

They had only known each other for a month, now. How soon they had come to the point of caring so much?

"War comes with risk." Jymaiyri shrugged. Yeonaixho, still holding her wrist, would feel the motion.

"You're too valuable to risk." Yeonaixho countered, his brow furrowing. Was he speaking of her as a military asset? Jymaiyri knew her value to the revolutionary cause- it was why she had turned to them in the first place. But Yeonaixho was not usually so crass about such things. The only alternative was, he was speaking of her as a friend. She hoped that might be the truth.

Jymaiyri considered her next words carefully. The barking of a dog and the passing of a group of people wearing heavy boots outside their window filled the silence between them. Finally, she settled on something to say. "Well, then it's a good thing I have you."

That brought a smile- however small- to Yeonaixho's pretty face. "You have me." He chuckled. His hold over Jymaiyri's wrist lightened, and traveled carefully over her arm- up her arm. Though his touch was warm and as light as a ghost, she still shivered. He gently carressed her forearm, her shoulder, her cheekbone- then moved his hand up and rested it on her chin. His thumb grazed her lip.

Yeonaixho's hands were softer than she might've expected. He was gentler than any man she had been with before. He seemed to be waiting for something, but what? And what was he waiting to do? The very thought sent her mine spiralling into a thousand different possibilties- the most prominent of all, were exciting.

The waiting became to much. "Yeonai…" Jymaiyri breathed, his name a soft exhale on her lips. He would be able to feel it. She hoped, with hope beyond hope, he would take it as the invitation it was.

Except, as soon as she spoke, as soon as she broke the tense silence between them, he jerked away. His hand was no longer gently caressing his face, but holding his arm. He leaned away from her, hunched over and embarrassed. "I'm- I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"

"Yeonai," She repeated, trying to get his attention.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable- I'm sorry-" He ran a hand through his blonde hair, and moved to get up. "I'll go-"

"Yeonai." She couldn't keep the chuckle out of her voice. "Enough with that." She climbed up on top of him, and met his lips with hers.

Yeonaixho was clearly surprised by it- by the sudden motion, by her forwardness, by everything. His shock only lasted a second. In a moment, his stiffness melted in to relaxation. He began to mirror her movents with his own, pushing towards her and kissing her back. His hand found her again- tracing up her arm again, but more present and firm than he had before. He was less afraid now. She was too.

After a moment that must've been a few minutes but had felt like an eternity and nothing at the same time, Jymaiyri broke away. She didn't want to- she wanted to have the taste of him on her lips forever- but she wanted to speak with him, wanted to see him. Simply, she just wanted him.

Yeonaixho smiled, his pale, unfocused eyes dazed and his cheeks flushed. "I didn't think you wanted to kiss me."

Jymaiyri couldn't help but smile. She put her hand to his cheek, and he leaned into it. His skin was warm in the palm of her hand. "Well, you're a pretty kissable guy."

At that, he laughed. It was a sound Jymaiyri never wanted to stop hearing.