Chapter Text
Eyes slowly crept open, faintly groaning at the feeling of muscles waking from their dormant state. How early was it? Or was it later in the morning? He couldn’t really tell but Kingsley knew that it was definitely well past night time as the room was more lit up thanks to the sunlight that could be seen filtering into the halls around him. Gods, his muscles still carried some weight to them with the soreness but compared to last night, they didn’t feel as heavy or worn out. It definitely didn’t hurt to move this time around though he was still mindful of his sword arm, remembering the bruise that had formed on his shoulder. Sitting up, he gently rolled it in small circles, trying to assess the pain it was still in but it didn’t seem to be bothering him terribly compared to the previous night.. Arms stretching skyward, he gingerly brought them back down until his right hand landed upon something soft, warm, and a bit scaly. The Gunbreaker blinked a few times, registering the feeling before looking over and sure enough, Yugiri was still fast asleep, back turned toward the Hyur and devoid of clothing beneath the blankets. A faint smile decorated his lips as he glided the back of his knuckles along her arm and up her shoulder before softly dragging them along her hair and across her horn. She was so peaceful when at rest, a complete difference compared to the stoic form she carried about when handling her duties as Hien’s right-hand woman, and seeing her in such a way was enough to make the Highlander smile as he quietly moved out from under the blankets, stark figure rising up to its full height. Bones cracked in relief as the Highlander set about stretching his limbs and back, legs on top of it all. Thank the gods there wasn’t anyone else immediately around to see him doing nude stretches at who knew what hour it was in the day, otherwise he’d have to explain the situation going on in the room, and that was something he really didn’t want to put up with considering Hien teased him and Yugiri about their relationship enough as is when they had time to themselves.
Gazing around the room, he began tracking down the various bits of clothing that lay tossed all over the room. At the very least, he gathered his smallclothes and pants to put on so he at least had something on in case anyone was daring enough to walk in. Keeping his silence, the Hyur set about gathering the rest of his clothes, tossing them aside his boots and gloves- Wait...his gloves were now by his boots along with his gunblade? He tilted his head at the sight, knowing full well that the last place he set his gloves were on the table...so how’d they get there? Shaking his head, he opted not to think on it much as he set his top and coat beside the rest of his gear before repeating the process for the shinobi’s attire, handling it with a bit more care as he tried to at least put them in a decently organized pile for when she was woken from her slumber. Setting them by the foot of the futon, Kingsley sighed out of satisfaction, rolling his neck for a moment in an attempt to rid himself of any remaining cricks with relieving pops.
Pivoting on his heels, he blinked in relative surprise at the tea set that was sitting atop the table, along with an assortment of what he could only assume as Eastern snacks, various fruits, and breads. That definitely wasn’t there the night before when he first entered the room, considering the room at least had the bare necessities for his stay but this…? The gears in his head gradually began to turn, piecing together what had to have occurred: Someone saw them in their predicament earlier while they were both asleep. No clothing, most likely still wrapped up in one another’s arms, and the scattered mess of aforementioned clothing that was lining the room. He brought a palm to his face, thumb and index finger dragging over his closed eyes before pinching the bridge of his nose. The thought never really popped up in his mind that they could’ve been seen the following day, but given that Hien had seen the two practically on the brink of making out in the One Garden, this was almost bound to happen.
“At least it wasn’t during the act,” he thought to himself, slowly walking over to the table.
Taking a seat, his eyes wandered over the selection that was on display. While not the most colorful arrangement, the aromas that wafted off each bit of food was enticing enough to make him salivate behind closed lips. Part of him wanted to start chowing down since it meant neither had to get anything for themselves but, he was more concerned about getting to the bottom of who their mystery courier was. Continuing to scan the display, the Hyur’s eyes came to settle on a folded piece of parchment that sat beside the teapot, quickly snatching it away from its spot. With haste, he opened up the paper, eyes now silently reading over the words penned down on it:
One of the attendants knocked on your door and was a bit worried when there wasn’t an answer from you. Out of precaution, they opened the door and seeing how red their face was when they came to report their findings was quite humorous. I arranged for food and drink to be brought to you and Yugiri this morning as a means to help start your road to recovery come the day that the Resistance launches their next offensive.
Rest well friend...and do take good care of my right-hand woman, yeah? I kid, I kid. She’s in good hands with you, Kingsley. Enjoy!
-Hien
A long, heavy sigh dropped from the Highlander’s lips, setting the note aside. He was grateful in the sense that Hien went out of his way to bring them this but gods be damned if he wasn’t annoyed with the fact that the Prince took every possible opportunity to tease them on their relationship. Compared to his companions’ antics, Hien’s was a lot more sincere with his tone rather than aiming to get a reaction out of every time it was brought up, unlike Aeric or Danica but the Gunbreaker had his ways of getting back at them whenever they tested one another with their teasing, though those were more to invoke reactions out of the other for their own amusement. Funny times they were, but that was something the Highlander wouldn’t admit out loud, otherwise he’d be teased for having a soft spot towards them and he didn’t want them to have more ammo than they already had.
Reaching for the pot, he pulled a cup towards him while dragging the container over, pouring out its contents until it was relatively full. A good bit of steam exuded from the liquid, indicating it was still at a high temperature for a good tasting. The scent that came from it was rather fragrant, definitely a mix of some kind of herbs but as for the taste, a touch of sweetness permeated his tongue, indicating that honey or something similar had been used in the drink’s creation. Cup aside, he turned his attention back over to the assortment that had been brought in, chin resting in his free hand as he looked them over. It was rather difficult to pick which one to start with, even more so by the slight growling his stomach emitted, hand resting over it in a failed attempt to try and get it to quiet down. He sighed, leaning back on his palms as he stared at the table’s contents, jaw shifting side to side, eyes trailing over to the still sleeping shinobi.
“On one hand, I should wake her up but on the other...curious as to what her reaction would be…” he mumbled, shaking his head.
He couldn’t be that mean to her. If anything it’d probably be better to just be blunt with it whether he woke her or she awoke of her volition. Figuring a head start on the former wouldn’t hurt, he pushed himself up from his spot at the table, soon enough making his way over to the sleeping shinobi with a quiet step, stealthily resting beside the futon, propped up on his good elbow, For a brief moment, he folded his arms over his chest as he observed the Raen, a grin slowly creeping up on his face. It had always crossed his mind in the times that they had wound up in similar positions after an intimate night, but to him, Yugiri always looked a lot cuter while asleep and not stressing or worrying over the wars happening throughout the world. Reaching out, he traced a hand along the length of her horn, back to front, and down her cheek with a gentle caress. The Gunbreaker was slightly surprised that none of it woke her up but then again, his earlier touches didn’t stir her either so he knew that she was sleeping pretty heavy for a change. Leaning over from his spot, he softly pressed his lips to hers, letting it linger for a good few moments and soon enough, movement began to stir from the Raen as he pulled away. Groggily, Yugiri pulled a hand up from under the blankets, rubbing at her eye as she lifted her head off the pillow, a small yawn escaping her.
“Morning,” Kingsley chuckled, hand withdrawing.
“Hey,” she groggily replied.
The shinobi sleepily pulled herself from her spot on the futon, propping herself up on her elbow as another yawn escaped her, idly rubbing at her eye a bit more as she looked up at the Highlander.
“How long have you been up?”
“A few minutes, possibly a quarter of an hour at this point.”
He shrugged in earnest, not entirely sure of the time himself.
“You sleep well at least?” he inquired, pushing back up into a seated position, legs crossing.
“I was with you, so I’d say so,” she chuckled, following suit.
A faint smile decorated the Highlander’s lips as he watched her, leaning in once she was sat up and pressing his lips to hers albeit briefly before his stoicism returned.
“Much as I hate to kill the mood…”
“Oh…?”
“...Someone walked in unannounced earlier while we were sleeping.”
Yugiri’s face quickly turned red as the words rolled off the Hyur’s tongue, holding the blankets against her chest. A rather casual shrug fell from his shoulders as he lazily dropped his hands into his lap. Kingsley had already accepted defeat at this point, recalling what he had stated the other week when the two were caught in the Garden by Hien. The shinobi raised a hand to her face, sighing heavily.
“We can’t catch a break can we?” she inquired.
“Apparently not. However, there is a positive to take from it...I think. That…”positive” being that it’s only been Hien who seems to catch us...usually.”
He shifted his jaw momentarily, shaking his head.
“If I’m to speak plain about him, he’s like an annoying but supportive brother or friend. If that makes sense.”
Yugiri chuckled at the assessment, smoothing down a few locks of hair.
“I can see what you mean. Much as he respects it, he still finds ways to get the occasional poke in the ribs.”
Releasing her hold on the blankets, she took a moment to stretch her arms skywards, fabric sliding down her torso to expose her chest. Awkwardly rubbing his neck, Kingsley glanced away, jaw moving side to side as a means to distract him, though his small embarrassment did not go unnoticed as the shinobi failed to contain her laugh.
“Even after getting intimate you still get flustered seeing me like this.”
“Just...trying to respect privacy is all.”
The Highlander huffed out a small sigh with another shake of his head, much to the Raen’s amusement as she wiggled out from under the blankets, crawling up to him until she was kneeling before him. It was evident that his cheeks were burning red, eyes wanting to glance but the restraint he put on himself was something worth applauding in this instance, even as he bit the inside of his cheek to distract himself with a fraction of pain. The red decorating his cheeks seemed to almost become brighter as Yugiri brought her hand up to caress his cheek, thumb running over the scar that rested upon it. Eyes slowly trailed over to her before Kingsley mustered enough resolve to turn his head to meet her gaze, a gentle smile having formed on the Raen’s lips.
“One of the reasons why I adore you. It’s cute.”
“Mhm…”
To Kingsley, this was a compromising position he found himself in given the current state of the shinobi. Fuck, it was hard to not look down for even a brief glance but he had to restrain himself, even as his mind became disorientated with the thoughts swimming in his mind. For a slight moment, he felt himself zoning out only to be reeled back into the current moment as his lips became melded with Yugiri’s, completely overriding whatever feelings and thoughts were driving him mad. His body gave way to it, simply sitting in the bliss of it for the moments the union lasted until the need for air forced them apart.
“It isn’t wrong if you look, Kingsley. Rather natural at this point in time.”
“Yeah...but still…”
He sighed, figuring it would be better to resign defeat at this point.
“If you’re fine with it...that is…” he mumbled.
“It’s fine, though I still appreciate your consideration nevertheless,” she chuckled.
She patted his cheek a moment, crawling into his lap to force him to uncross his legs before wrapping her arms around his neck, forehead gently knocking against his as his arms encircled her lower back, letting out a long exhale as he tried to regain his composure.
“I love you,” he murmured, tightening his hold.
A kiss found its way to his forehead before making its way to his lips, briefly being held before the Raen pulled back, smiling.
“Love you too.”
A smile of his own tugged at the corners of his lips, though he kept it restrained for the time being. With a small nod of his head, he gestured toward the clothes pile that rested by the futon.
“Went around and picked everything up when I woke up. Tried to make it neat when putting your stuff together.”
“I appreciate it, Kingsley.”
Yugiri gave him one final peck on the cheek before unlinking her arms from his neck, and in turn he did the same, gaze quickly diverting to his left as she scooted over to the put together pile, rifling through it for her bottom pieces. The Highlander cleared his throat for a moment in an attempt to break the silent air as he stood from his spot, rubbing at his neck.
“If you want privacy, I can step outsiii….”
Kingsley quickly cut himself off as he immediately realized that was the last thing he wanted. It was bad enough that the two had been spotted earlier, in the same bed more or less, and the last thing he wanted was for the chance that Hien would be walking about and bump into him while he was half dressed. Normally, he wouldn’t care about something that seemed like a minor inconvenience but given the circumstances of this occasion, he found himself with fewer options than anticipated as he raised a palm to his face, cheeks turning red once more, much to the shinobi’s amusement.
“I’ll just be at the table...not looking,” he mumbled, fingers spread apart enough to allow for some small form of vision.
Yugiri continued giggling at his expense, awkwardly sitting at the filled table with his left hand serving as a shield to block his sight. Thank the gods he poured himself that cup of tea earlier so he had something to occupy his other hand with while he waited, even if it was slightly above room temperature at this point. Keeping to his limited vision, he looked over at the fruit assortment that sat in front of him, swiping one of the apples that stood out from the others. Instinctually he took a large bite from it, trying to keep his focus on the food and drink before while he blocked his own wandering eyes from looking. Even if she said it was fine to take a look, he opted not to. It was one thing to see her fully nude when in the moment, and it was a completely different vibe when it wasn’t. He inwardly cursed himself as he took a long sip from his cup, jaw shifting about during his wait. Gods it felt like an eternity and he almost wondered if the shinobi was trying to see him break from his moment of concentration, and if she was, he was determined to win this contest for his own pride and dignity. Another sip, hard swallow, heavy sigh, bite of the apple, silence…
“...Am I good to look?” he inquired, chomping into the apple more.
“Trying to sneak a peek?” Yugiri replied, mischief in her tone.
Kingsley groaned at the response, taking another forceful bite of apple. Should’ve known better that the moment he exploited his own weakness that it was going to be used to the other’s advantage, and he was never a happy camper whenever it happened. A sigh fell from him as he set the apple down on the table, tea taking its place in his hand with another downed sip of it. Biting at the inside of his cheek, he slowly spread his fingers apart on his shield, gaze turning a small tick to peek through the cracks. Yugiri was fully clothed, back turned to the Highlander as she went about making sure everything was decently smoothed out and presentable in the event someone decided to come walking in. Blinking, the Highlander turned his gaze away, fingers coming back together to close the gaps as he continued nursing his current cup. A quiet sigh escaped him, shoulders becoming lax with the next sip. Sure, he looked, but at least the Raen was clothed and not undressed still.
“Kingsley?”
“Hm?”
“You looked didn’t you?”
“........”
There went the possibility of being stealthy on his side. Then again, this was one of the elite shinobi, if not the most elite, that Doma had to offer and he thought he had one upped the Au Ra at her own game. Mentally, he marked down another tally in his loss column, silently taking another sip, much to the shinobi’s amusement as a small laugh erupted from her.
“I told you it isn’t wrong if you look,” she giggled, joining him at the table.
“Yeah, yeah…” he murmured, taking another bite out of the apple.
Hand still held up, he momentarily rolled his eyes before dropping the barrier between them. Though annoyed by the teasing at this point, his stoicism was light as he turned to her, lips contorting in an unsure grin, shrugging. The shinobi reached across, patting his arm before switching her attention over to the assortment, however, her eyes seemed to catch sight of the note card first. The parchment quickly found its way into her hand, eyes quickly scanning the words written with a heavy sigh, tossing it aside with a small chuckle stemming from the Highlander.
“Ever the jokester in our lives,” she noted, reaching for one of the oranges.
“Like I said: annoying but supportive brother figure.”
A small laugh escaped Yugiri as she went about peeling the fruit, each going about their own business with Kingsley continuing to munch on the apple in hand, filling the in-betweens with sips from his cup. Extending a hand towards the pot, it was still giving off some measure of warmth but who knew for how much longer before it was considered not worth serving. Nudging his cup aside, he pulled in the other one alongside the teapot, pouring out another cup and moving it over to the shinobi before going back to nursing his own. The Raen offered up a gentle smile in turn at the gesture, pulling it closer to her while Kingsley idly continued with his own of going back and forth between food and drink. Soon enough, there was nothing but the core left and the cup was more or less drained of its liquid contents albeit only for a short time as he quickly refilled it. Fingers remaining curled around the cup, his thumb idly traced along part of the rim, chin resting in the palm of the other as he gradually began to zone out, mind starting to dance with ideas pertaining to his work. Not exactly something he should be focusing on, especially since he was on temporary leave in order to recover from his injuries, but, he couldn’t help it. It was just natural for him. Amid his thought process, however, a finger poked at his cheek, breaking him out of his trance with a crane of his head, orange slice offered out to him. He blinked in slight confusion but leaned in for it only to have it pulled away and was instead met by lips softly pressing to his for a brief time before being fed the fruit.
“Cheeky...but can’t say I’m mad.”
“Could you be at that?”
“Hm, nope.”
Kingsley faintly chuckled at the exchange, another orange slice being waved in the air, garnering a small shrug from him as he leaned over, meeting Yugiri halfway for another brief liplock before another orange slice found its way to his mouth afterward. With a content sigh, he pulled back, falling back into his contemplative form, gently swirling the contents of his cup about. His eyes gradually closed, falling back into his thoughts...back to Bozja...no, keep that out. There would be time later to worry about it once he was healed and now was not optimal, furrowing his brows for a brief moment before trying to replace the thoughts with something else. Zenos? Hells no. Fuck that noise. Family? Aleister was the only one that came to mind given he was the only relative he still had respect for, and to say he was trying to rebuild respect for his biological parents was another tale in of itself, especially when he learned that Curtis was working alongside Baelsar in taking down the Weapons Project as a similar means of redemption, considering the threat it also posed to Ala Mhigo for a time. His mother though...that was another complex tale to try and pick apart, and understanding it was something he didn’t bother making any progress on considering what him and the others had to worry about nowadays. They were practically having to fight for the star’s fate for the umpteenth time in gods know how many months, perhaps years at this point given the seemingly never ending struggle. Damn it, there he went again thinking about the negatives. A heavy sigh fell from him, raising his cup up to his lips for a long sip.
“Kingsley?”
“Eh?”
The Highlander set his cup aside, chin coming off his palm as he turned to the Raen with a slight tilt to his head, noting the concern in her eyes.
“Shit...I made myself obvious…” he cursed inwardly, stoicism masking the realization behind his eyes.
“Something’s on your mind. I can tell,” Yugiri remarked, taking another bit of orange between her lips.
“Yeah...just my brain being itself,” Kingsley added, faintly shrugging as he drew another sip.
A faint groan escaped him as the thoughts struck him again, almost like knives as he slightly scowled. He hated expressing this kind of emotion around others. His worry, his conflict. In his mind, it wasn’t meant for others to bear when it was his to shoulder to begin with...and those years of alcoholism weren’t doing any justice. Diverting his gaze, he focused more on the remaining tea in his cup in hopes of zoning out on the matter. Even if his words weren’t enough, his actions were usually enough to prevent people from prying his thoughts, even the likes of Aeric. Lost in himself, he was quickly brought back to reality as Yugiri was now knelt beside him, hand gently patting his crossed leg. Much like his gesture of extending a hand out for contact, this was her version of wanting some form of closeness as the Hyur uncrossed his legs, allowing for the shinobi to sit between them, a couple more oranges in hand as she leaned back into him, beginning to work on peeling the next one as she set the other one aside on the table. His arms loosely wrapped around her waist, fingers lacing with one another while his chin gently rested atop her head. No words were exchanged, just silence save for the faint pulling of orange rind and the occasional sip of tea followed by a quiet sigh from the Gunbreaker. Even though he remained partially submerged in his thoughts, most of the negativity that was building up had been knocked aside with the presence of the Au Ra in his lap, trying to focus more on the close contact he had with her in the present.
“...Mind’s just been doing a lot of thinking…” he murmured.
“You want to talk about it?”
She held up one of the slices to his lips, positioning preventing her from getting him to pay the toll for one this time around but the offer was accepted nonetheless as the Highlander gently took the piece from her hand, chewing it quietly before swallowing it down.
“Just...more or less been my mind trying to prepare for what’s to come in the future. The whole thing with the Resistance, Zenos, my family...it doesn’t know when to shut up. Always seems to be one problem that it clings onto and pokes at my brain until something else catches or demands my attention and distracts me from all the thinking.”
“Well, that’s just how you usually operate, isn’t it?”
He faintly shrugged.
“In a sense…? Yeah, but I’ve been wanting to try and change that kind of thought process. Either focus on something completely different or just find a way to repress the thoughts for a time until I actually need to worry. Feels like I’m doing a disservice by always being serious all the time around the others.”
“I wouldn’t discredit yourself with carrying that attitude, Kingsley. If there’s at least a positive to look at, it means you’re always looking to be ready for whatever may come.”
The Highlander shifted his jaw for a moment, mulling it over in barely audible murmurs. A sigh soon followed, chin tucking in so as to rest his forehead atop hers.
“Still...I don’t want people to think I’m always on edge since that’s not me...at least not the present me. Old me was always on edge because of circumstances regarding my parents and then...more or less kept that after my recovery from both my drinking and the near fatal excursion involving the Ixal. The whole mentality of having to be ready for what might get thrown at me next. Hells, that attitude has probably saved my hide more times than I can count in my ventures, but...point being that I don’t want to seem like I’m that way all the time. I’m a stoic fighter, aye, but I’m not some monotone cyborg that fights because someone ordered him to do so.”
He groaned at the thought, knowing that was how some common folk viewed him, especially from his time in Hyrstmill. Dark days those were, and they were something he was not fond of revisiting but they were forever engraved in his mind for both his failure to himself and also the start of his recovery, on top of gaining his Echo powers. The time in which everything for him changed, and everything became a lot more complex than he thought things to be. Regardless, it at least brought him to meet some interesting characters once he pulled his weight in Ul’dah, and that was something he would’ve never thought of happening if he wasn’t given the Echo.
“I guess the point I’m trying to make...is...I don’t want to be viewed as this brooding hardass of a person. Yeah, I fight for a good cause, but…”
He contemplated his next choice of words, lips moving side to side. Amid the silence, Yugiri finished off the rest of the first orange she had in hand, pulling one knee up and close to her chest as she tilted her head back, gaze meeting his a bit. A measure of uncertainty sat in the Gunbreaker’s blue eyes, a sense of struggle that clung to him. Reaching up, she put her hands behind his neck, linking them together and gave a gentle pull, getting Kingsley to move his head along with it until their lips touched one another’s. Tension gradually faded from the Hyur’s face and shoulders, surrendering to the touch he found himself familiarly wrapped up in. A series of smaller kisses followed until Yugiri withdrew but still kept her hold on the Hyur, keeping his head lowered to where their foreheads were touching. This was their way of assuring the other that everything was okay, a way to soothe their worries without the intervention of words. After a few silent moments, the shinobi relinquished her hold on the Highlander, turning in her current spot so she was facing him and leaned into him, nuzzling against his chest as he tightened his grip around her, quietly sighing.
“...You know what I mean…” he murmured.
“I do, and I understand your feelings on the situation. It’s one thing to fight to see your country free, but it’s another thing when you’re having to fight in an attempt to save the star.”
“Yeah...and it’s something I don’t like having to think about when I want there to be a future for everything.”
His chin gently dropped back down atop the Raen’s head, eyes closing.
“I want to be able to see you more. Without the fear, the worry, the pain...I’m just tired of it at this point.”
He pulled her closer to him, sighing heavily.
“This world...this world allowed me to have a second chance when I needed it most...and I’m not to let a pair of rogue fools burn it all to ash for their own agendas. Not while I still have a debt to repay to the people who helped me get back on my feet...and also when I still have loose ends to tie up.”
Fingers hooked in slightly, bunching up the fabric of the Raen’s top with another sigh, slightly shaking his head.
“As cliche as it all sounds,” he mumbled.
“Even if it is, your goal is admirable,” Yugiri chuckled, head pulling back to look up at him.
“Still…”
His lips moved to part to continue his response, but he quickly found himself silenced by a raised finger being pressed against his lips.
“You needn’t give more excuses, Kingsley. You’ve said enough as is for your intentions, and the want to see you is mutual. It’s hard enough with the work you do alongside the others on top of the work with the Bozjans, but, I’m a busy woman myself in aiding Hien rebuild Doma.”
The rest of the Raen’s fingers uncurled and moved across the Hyur’s cheek, gently patting it with a warm smile.
“You know we always find a way to make time, even if it is for a few minutes.”
The Gunbreaker’s lips twitched for a moment before nodding in agreement, head leaning down again to rest against hers.
“I’ll come back safe...and I mean in regards to everything. I don’t have intentions on saying goodbye any time soon, let alone ever.”
“Good. I’m holding you to that.”
“Aye.”
He lifted his head just enough to kiss at her forehead, pulling away shortly afterward in order to stand to his full height with a faint groan. Yugiri pouted at him slightly, eyes following where his head nodded in turn: the futon.
“I don’t have anything better to do besides sleep while I recover. You coming with?”
Half a smirk formed on his lips as he slowly walked over, pulling the blankets back. In due time, the shinobi pushed up from her spot at the table, joining him beneath the blankets. The Highlander quickly circled an arm around her form, pulling her in closer to him to the point she practically crawled on top of him, nearly mimicking the events of last night.
“I’d almost think you prefer me sleeping atop you,” Yugiri remarked, head resting atop her arms.
“Are you complaining? Especially when I haven’t bothered putting on my top,” Kingsley chuckled.
“Just making an observation, and rather the opposite.”
A small smirk crossed the Hyur’s lips as he brought his hands up from beneath the blankets, gently taking hold of her face in both hands before planting a soft kiss on her lips followed by a short flurry of smaller ones. One of his hands began to run along her cheek, knuckles lightly running over the Raen’s scales, a touch she lovingly leaned into, quietly chuckling.
“I love you,” he whispered.
“I love you too.”
Both gave the other a gentle smile in turn before getting more comfortable in their current situation: Yugiri resting her head atop the Gunbreaker’s chest while he wrapped his arms around the middle of her back, snuggly holding her in place.
“Bit of a weird question..but you think Hien might walk in?” Kingsley inquired, eyes closing.
“Probably, but...think I’m gradually beginning not to care at this point,” the shinobi remarked.
“Heh, fair enough.”
Kingsley moved one arm from its current resting point, shifting it so its hand came up to rest upon the back of the Raen’s head, fingertips gently moving along her hair. A content sigh escaped both, bodies becoming more and more lax with each passing moment. Even if this was to only be a momentary spell of rest in his work for both the Resistance and Scions, it was one he was perfectly okay with given who he had with him. Even as his thoughts tried to cloud one another with the worry of the future that they might be subjected to, his mind settled for focusing on the present and enjoying what it had to offer him in this respite. Sleep continued to pull him further under its spell, but, he did have one final thought to tell himself: Rest...is never a bad thing, Especially when you’re with someone you love the most.
Fin