[Through the connection established by synchrony, he can feel the prickle of her hurt underneath his skin. He nearly turns back to her, nearly closes his hands around hers. But then he's sure that would only make his unceremonious departure sting worse. Instead, gathering one of the blankets from their erstwhile nest around his waist, Nikolai stands. He harvests his trousers from the floor. Then he hesitates just a second, uncertain of what to say for once.]
I won't be long.
[This is a promise he can follow through. Within a quarter of an hour, he is washed and (partially) dressed and on his third draft of what to say to Alina tonight. He walks back inside with the blanket neatly folded and draped over his arm. His hair is damp, his skin and scales glistening. His countenance is carefully, pleasantly neutral.]
Thank you for fixing up my shirt. If I attempted it myself, I'm sure I'd only inflict worse damage.
[He deposits the folded blanket on the floor by the bed and makes to gather his scattered socks and shoes. The whole of his focus goes into tugging these on, holding his gaze away from Konoha. But he finds his eyes flicking to her anyway and catching for just a moment. She looks good, mussed by their romp and loosely draped in her robe. Regret collides with guilt in his stomach, and he jerks his eyes away again.]
["I won't be long" is such an innocuous phrase to be hurt by, and yet... No. Beyond being selfish of her, it just... wasn't something she technically had a right to think, no matter what he'd said before or how high her hopes had gotten. True to her word, by the time he returns... She's just finished with the last button, pulling it towards her mouth to use sharp canines to cut through the tied-off string before she gives the garment one last check.]
I'm the one who damaged it, so...
[It was only proper she be the one to fix it, rush job or not. Task complete, she holds it out in offer, attempting to school her own expression even though she's nowhere near as good at it as he is.]
Here.
[The only thing that's changed since he left... she's shifted just a little to put her rump behind her in attempt to hide how her tail still twitched and swayed with heat yet unsated. Moved a bit of hay and reeds about to cover the stains left by their lovemaking until she found the strength for steadier legs and the required changing of the bedding.
But that could wait. She had something else to see to. To see out.]
Your other shirt is on the table there...
[The more jinba-height one, which she gestures to before self-consciousness gets the better of her and she just... tucks some of her disheveled hair behind her ear. Opens her mouth to ask something... and then thinks better of it. Instead, she just goes with,]
[He has all but forgotten about the shirt, his original reason for making the trip to Konoha's house. Their, ah, activities had knocked the thought clean loose, so much so that it takes him a second to sort out what she's referring to.]
It was no trouble at all.
[Back to polite little nothings, so cool after the heated words that had poured from his lips not too long ago. Finished with all the fussy fastenings, Nikolai turns back to her β just briefly, long enough for a glance that he wants to be reassuring, but he knows it can't be. He goes to retrieve the borrowed shirt.
Just as before, when they'd fallen into a tryst beneath the tree, tugged along by a certain red powder, he wishes he could do something more for her. The dragon, quieter now, nevertheless stirs in his belly. But all he can do is leave her right there, disheveled and incomplete and alone. All he can offer is a thin smile.]
no subject
I won't be long.
[This is a promise he can follow through. Within a quarter of an hour, he is washed and (partially) dressed and on his third draft of what to say to Alina tonight. He walks back inside with the blanket neatly folded and draped over his arm. His hair is damp, his skin and scales glistening. His countenance is carefully, pleasantly neutral.]
Thank you for fixing up my shirt. If I attempted it myself, I'm sure I'd only inflict worse damage.
[He deposits the folded blanket on the floor by the bed and makes to gather his scattered socks and shoes. The whole of his focus goes into tugging these on, holding his gaze away from Konoha. But he finds his eyes flicking to her anyway and catching for just a moment. She looks good, mussed by their romp and loosely draped in her robe. Regret collides with guilt in his stomach, and he jerks his eyes away again.]
no subject
I'm the one who damaged it, so...
[It was only proper she be the one to fix it, rush job or not. Task complete, she holds it out in offer, attempting to school her own expression even though she's nowhere near as good at it as he is.]
Here.
[The only thing that's changed since he left... she's shifted just a little to put her rump behind her in attempt to hide how her tail still twitched and swayed with heat yet unsated. Moved a bit of hay and reeds about to cover the stains left by their lovemaking until she found the strength for steadier legs and the required changing of the bedding.
But that could wait. She had something else to see to. To see out.]
Your other shirt is on the table there...
[The more jinba-height one, which she gestures to before self-consciousness gets the better of her and she just... tucks some of her disheveled hair behind her ear. Opens her mouth to ask something... and then thinks better of it. Instead, she just goes with,]
... Thanks again. For letting me borrow it.
no subject
It was no trouble at all.
[Back to polite little nothings, so cool after the heated words that had poured from his lips not too long ago. Finished with all the fussy fastenings, Nikolai turns back to her β just briefly, long enough for a glance that he wants to be reassuring, but he knows it can't be. He goes to retrieve the borrowed shirt.
Just as before, when they'd fallen into a tryst beneath the tree, tugged along by a certain red powder, he wishes he could do something more for her. The dragon, quieter now, nevertheless stirs in his belly. But all he can do is leave her right there, disheveled and incomplete and alone. All he can offer is a thin smile.]
I'll be on my way, then. Good night, Konoha.
[And with that, he'll escort himself out.]