[private] and I never saw you coming

[Altissima]

Stepping away had been a dumb plan but Altissima doesn’t regret being able to focus on Tarian’s eyes when he watches her over the water and then closes the gap between them. She shifts her weight forward to meet him, reaching for him as he reaches for her. The way he touches her this time is different somehow, and though it is light it carries with it a weight. A weight that makes her feel a little more sure even when it also inspires a little more nerves. He tells her that she’s already made him useless and she fumbles for a witty response to volley back. “Is that right? I’ll… try to not let that get to my head.” But her voice is quiet and breathless - it’s harder to concentrate now and she can feel the words she might have said fade away with his proximity and his touch. Later, if she remembers, she might tease him over how much power she had over him but the words fumble around in her head as she leans into his touch and her vivid eyes close briefly in contentment.  Surely that will be the last time she moves away, the last time she hesitates? Altissima briefly entertains asking if he is as nervous as she feels but since she has decided she does not want to be nervous, she pretends otherwise. And so it is with confident movements that she trails a touch across his skin before tugging on his mane as he had hers (and wondering if he liked it as much as she did). Her voice remains low when she continues to speak and again she wonders if he can hear the nervous thunder of her heart as her eyes open so they can meet his. “And yes, Tarian. That was a challenge before. In this, I’d be happy to be proved wrong.”

image by yoricade

@Tarian