K is for Kiss

[Soleil]

She could remember his breath on her skin as he had lingered dangerously close to her. His lips nearly threatening her own with a kiss. She had sat completely still, frozen and unsure of how to respond or react, and the thoughts had rambled through her mind as she wondered what she would do if his lips actually had followed through and pressed against her own. His words he spoke into her ear had made her shiver and before she could say or do anything, Zane ran off. She stayed there even after he left her. Confusion spread through her and she wasn't exactly sure how she should have felt by it. She knew of the ways women swooned over men like Zane and she had no doubts that he'd have other ladies trying to win his heart or to recieve such the kiss that he almost gave to her. She felt she had done nothing to deserve such the thing, and Zane hadn't given it to her, either. But still, Zane had come so close to doing it. She was not one of those girls though. She did not swoon over men or beg for their attention or love. Really, Naevah did not know what the word meant and did not even know if she believed it existed outside of a family love bond. The sun had gone down and left her alone in the dark. She did not leave but let herself think about the confusion she felt. She tried to think of their next interaction and if it would change things. If she would need to try and push him away and make him not like her. "I'm sorry for liking you..." He had said to her once, and she somewhat understood what he meant by that now. He probably knew that she did not want to be involved with anyone and that her life strived by war and not love. She wondered why he'd ever admit to liking her though. She did not feel she did anything that would make someone like her... Like her enough to want to kiss her even. After Zane left, Naevah had remained there for a half hour to an hour, just sitting alone, letting her mind wander. She finally left then and went back to her living quarters in the military building. The rest of the evening was spent talking with her father, though she did not mention a thing about Zane to him. She didn't feel like she needed to. Things weren't serious between them, was it? And she didn't sleep that night. She tossed and turned, slightly angry at Zane for trying to get so close to her, and almost seeling that bond with a kiss. What would she do at their next meeting? She would not let something like this hold her back and keep her from a promise she made. But the next day, she found herself distracted. By him. And she was angry with herself for allowing him to cross through her mind several times during the day. She would spend her time trying to convince herself that she needed to speak with him and tell him she could no longer teach him how to read or spend time with him at the cliffs. That she needed to focus on her work and training for the war instead. But she would catch herself afterward, thinking about how to teach him the rest of the alphabet... What words to use with him and how to get him to understand. She was, strangely, looking forward to the time when she could take a break to meet with him. And so, as soon as that time came, Naevah slipped out of her office, away from her work and found her way at the cliffs.


He honestly wasn't sure if she'd show the next day. He had turned, not sure he had wanted to know just what his little display had created. He had liked her and he was honest, the other day he had wanted to kiss her but he restrained himself. Why? He wasn't sure. But her confused look hadn't encouraged him any further and so the situation was dropped, at least for him it was. He had even talked to Alex about it, in a round about way. He swore off the women of Avalendor, professing so to the queen because the women of Avalendor were confusing as ever. Not that the average woman wasn't confusing but here he seemed more confused and less confident. Perhaps it was because this time he wasn't going to leave in a few days, this time he was staying in one place and the people he met today would know him next year. At least he hoped it would work out that way. He had dragged his horse, Artemis, down to the cliffs today. The two had rode down after his practice with his commander and there he laid upon his thick green cloak, as if it were a blanket. His body was utterly exhausted from the practice. Ancaladar was a strong and kind man, Zane found himself looking up to him. Fingers held an apple to his mouth and he idle bit into it's tuff red skin, juice trailing down his chin. After each bite he'd use the backside of his other hand to erase the fruit's trail. It was much colder to day than the days that had passed and he wore both a long padded tunic and a thick leather short sleeve jerkin. The ends of that cloak were even folded in around him as he laid. That's when she arrived. She towered over him and his eyes looked up to her blues. He was glad that she didn't ditch out on him, than things might have been really weird between them. How horrible would it have been for the two to meet with those awkward silences. "Hello." He lowered the almost fully eaten apple from his mouth.

Her hair was fully braided, but all the braids had been gathered up and tied back to keep out of her way. She dressed in a plain light brown dress, trimmed with a crimson design around the collar and sleeves of the dress. It might have seemed like she did not own a cloak, because she was not wearing one now, despite the change in temperature again. A simple nod was given to him at his greeting. "Hello." In her hand, she held onto his book and slowly moved closer to him, letting herself sink down onto the rock, sitting there. For now, she'd act like the previous night never happened, but it continued to linger in the back of her mind despite her trying to push it out. She was tired and she somewhat looked it too. "Tell me something you've learned so far." The book was placed in her lap and her elbows rested on her thighs, fingers curled around the spine of the book as she rested her arms over it. She looked at him, icy blue eyes watching him, wondering what answer he'd give her, but she was more curious about what was going on in his mind at that particular moment now.

He did note the lack of cloak and wondered why she had returned his, unless of course... He was grateful that she seemed to ignore the situation at hand and so he closed his eyes trying to draw his mind to a more productive topic. He had studied what she had taught him best he could. Sounds would take more than a day's lecture for him, despite his almost photographic memory. He took another bite of the apple and chewed on it as he thought. " I learned the letters and I tried to come up with words for each of them and their sounds." He wasn't sure if she had wanted him to start naming the things he had come up with or if she just wanted a simple answer like he gave. Fingers turned the apple and he took another juice bite. Once he was done and all but core was left he chucked it out over the cliff's edge. " I don't know if I remember all the sounds though. But I have a word for B, C, D, F, and M. I didn't come up with something for the others and actually I think we need to go over sounds more." He didn't tell her about his journal yet, though he had thought about it. It was pretty blank at the moment and begged for usage before he'd say how he planned on using it to study from.

Naevah continued to watch him, curious to what words he had been able to come up with for each letter he just listed. "Yeah? And what words have you come up with?" She did not expect him to already know all the sounds of the letters, so she would go over them with him again afterwards. She watched as he ate the apple and then threw it over the edge of the cliff. Her eyes watched the apple fall until it was out of sight and she returned her eyes to him again. If she knew about the journal he created, she'd tell him that she thought it was a good idea and might help him remember more if he practiced writing the letters. Her fingers interlocked as hands folded together and rested on top of his book on her lap. Her mind continued to burden her with thoughts that were not of the alphabet, but outwardly, Naevah looked completely serious and straight to business.

His hands went to rub the cleft chin that was now, already dusted lightly with stubble. He pulled gently on it in thought, he had his mind on other things as well and those previous words he had come up with had seemed to vanish. " Well, Book and Boat. Chest, Drink, Fruit and flute. Mother..." he said the last one softly as if unsure but he had hoped he was correct. His hand stopped it's rubbing as he came out of thought and offered her one of his apples. He had been rude in letting it go so long with out the offer and so he said it with a sheepish grin. " A for apple... would you like one?" He looked away from her with the offer and to the horse where the apple was waiting in his saddle pouch. Than suddenly he excalimed out with some excitement inhis random thought and word idea. Too bad it wasn't right... " K too, Kloak..."

Naevah smiled faintly as he blurted out the words. She was rather surprised he thought of chest as a word that began with a C. She hadn't even gotten into the letter combinations yet. But she would give him a slow nod. "Aye, those are all right... Good job." Her fingers were pulled apart from one another and she tapped one of her fingers against her lips until he'd offer her the apple. She wasn't going to make him get up to get it for her so she shook her head. "That's okay. Thank you." But at his wrongful guess, Naevah frowned and shook her head again. He had discovered a conflict with two of the letters. "No... Cloak actually begins with a C, not a K... That's where you will be tricked. The letters sound the same...You just have to memorize which words are spelled with a C and which are spelled with a K." She knew that that would confuse him and she could not think of another way to explain it to him better. "You'll get used to it and figure out which is which eventually..."

Those clear green eyes watched as she tapped her finger to her lip as she thought. It was as if she was daring him? or was it subconscious? Either way his eyes lingered over her full lips and their soft peachy tone. He suddenly had wished she had asked for an apple; instead he swallowed. At least his mistake was a distraction and he adjusted himself in a new seated position next to her on his cloak. Those dark brows furrowed together and down upon his face that he had actually gotten something wrong, worse he probably wasn't going to understand the difference. A deep sigh escaped. " Shall we go over the sounds again?" He turned around behind him and went to grab a twig that could be used to etch letters into the softened earth. He dug out the alphabet and went to hand the stick over. His fingers felt heavy and clumsy and brushed against her's in the process. This was awkward... he thought it in his head and instead turned to study the letters more intently, as if they were going to get up and move.

Naevah wasn't daring him as her finger tapped along her lip. It was indeed a subconscious thing as she thought quietly to herself. She was typically well with keeping her emotions hidden and not expressed and so she continued to act as if the previous night hadn't happened and they were just simply there to teach him to read. But her mind wasn't into it tonight. She kept trying to figure out what she had done to make him feel the way he expressed. She could remember sitting next to him, frozen as he held his lips close to hers. Her cheeks had become warm and she felt a strange chill go through her body and something flutter within her stomach. She didn't know what that meant or if it was a good or bad thing. He had asked her to go over the letters again, and for a moment, Naevah didn't respond or say anything, almost as if she were spacing out in her thoughts and hadn't heard him. But the moment did not last long and she quickly looked back at him with a questioning look in her eyes, but she nodded. "Aye, of course..." When the stick was handed over to her, she felt his fingers brush against her own and she found herself staring at his hand and then her own as it held that stick. She let out a sigh through her nose and shook her head at herself before she'd force her thoughts from her mind and carry on. She pointed to the first letter, said it's name, and demonstrated the two possible sounds it could make. A soft A sound or a long A sound. And she would give him examples--like apple, and aim. She would, once again, move slowly, doing the same with every letter until she reached N again; where they had left off last night. She made the sound of N and then looked at him, asking him what words started with the letter.

He looked at the letters closely, they were moving he swore to it. No they weren't but he sorta wished they did because it was pretty obvious to him that the night before was hanging in the air, making it thick and almost un breathable. He found his fingers pulling at the loose padded tunic's collar, it was suffocating. He'd have to mention it sometime or another and sometime was starting to turn into as soon as the situation seemed proper to. He nodded. "Naevah... N stands for you. I didn't say that earlier because I had said that yesterday and I don't forget something like that so easily." his green clear eyes left those letters finally to fall upon her. He studied her for a long moment, eyes holding still there. "I'm sorry about last night but you did ask me.... I don't like to lie and I don't try to avoid situations either." He was referring mainly to why he told her and not to the fact that they were both sitting here pretending that the purple elephant with polka dots wasn't between them. He didn't necessarily mind that avoiding. He could live with avoiding this topic all together, except it hung there in the air and he really didn't want it to ruin their reading lesson moments.

A small nod was given when he spoke her name again in response to what the letter began with. Her lips parted to say something, but he, instead spoke up with an apology for the previous night. She kept her eyes on him, eyebrows furrowing a bit in a way that made it almost seem like she wasn't thinking about it and had no idea what he was talking about. But the expression faded as he continued on. She did not typically enjoy avoiding situations either, so her fingers carefully played with the stick, trying to keep herself a bit more occupied, and to keep her eyes busy from having to look at him again. He had brought it up so their lesson for the night would come to a small hault so the two of them could somehow come to terms with what had happened. She sighed and finally set the stick down onto her knees her hands coming to fold together, wrists resting on the stick and her knees. "Well, if I said don't worry about it, and to put it behind... I think that it would not work that way..." She shrugged her shoulders and thought quietly to herself. She had so many questions running through her mind at the moment, but wasn't exactly sure if she wanted to speak them to him. She fell silent, unsure of what else to say after her statement. She did ask him, he was right, but his answer wasn't exactly something she would have expected. Grey-ish blue eyes stared down at the letters he had drawn on the ground. She shook her head slightly and for now, kept the rest of her thoughts burried inside of her.

He watched her closely, green eyes searching her face. It was hard for him to tell what the right course of action was. Was it to be bold or should he handle the situation with care? He looked down to the stick as it rested over her legs. " I could put it behind me, if you wished it that way." He placed his right hand under her chin and slowly urged her gaze into his eyes, away from the letters that lay in front of them. At least when he used them as an excuse they had been going over the alphabet. His thumb smoothed along her jaw line and it's smooth flesh. "I don't think you want to put it behind..." He sat there in that pose, waiting for her responce.

Her chin was lifted, as was her gaze when he took her chin and pulled her gaze to look at him. Her eyes narrowed only slightly as she studied him real closely when he spoke. She felt his thumb brush against the skin of her face and once he made his last statement, her lips parted and were held open just slightly before she would say anything. "What makes you say that?" Her eyebrow rose with a hint of curiosity. How could he know whether or not she wanted to put it behind? Icy blues remained focused on his green eyes then, there was very little emotion upon her stoic features. She wondered how he came to figure that she didn't want to put the thoughts behind them. Or was it that he did not want to put it behind? She eyed him suspitiously but said nothing more, and just waited for his answer. But before he'd give her that answer, she questioned him again, wanting a second answer. "Do you want to put it behind?"

How did anyone know anything? He watched her as she stayed there, her face didn't shy away from his touch and that alone made him sure of his words. He didn't need to have any other reason than that. The sun had been slightly masked behind a cloud but was now set free to warm their faces from the chill of the sneaky winter air. He looked in her eyes and simply paused in his answer. She was like a toddler who asked all sorts of questions, questions with out ends and questions that had no answers. If she wasn't teaching him he would have felt braver, more careless in his choice of action. But he had wanted her to keep teaching him and by making her feel awkward, it wasn't a great way to thank her. But in that moment he left all that behind. Slowly he leaned in and simply answered her the only way he could. He kissed her. It was shocking but less so since she might have known it was coming. His lips pressed to her's; it was a soft warm embrace. His hand that was stationary on her chin had slid up along her cheek bone, fingers uncurling along the way. Now she would know that he didn't want to put it behind them, unless she did. He just hoped his reading lesson would survive the mess his lips had now placed him in.

There was an awkward silence between them and Naevah wasn't sure she'd get answers from him. But rather than words, he decided to speak in actions. He leaned in close to her and pressed his lips to her. It was strange to her and she couldn't help but feel younger than she was in that moment. She had been kissed before, but not in this kind of way. The others she'd recieve were more forceful in attempts to break her down and give in to a man that wanted her. But. That was a different story. The kiss wasn't returned at first. And Naevah held her eyes open as that kiss first touched upon their lips. She was frozen. But by the time his fingers had uncurled and slid along her cheek she felt her eyelids shut on her. Her cheek was instantly warmed by his touch, her skin burning, she could feel. That strange chill crept through her spine and almost as if she had no control, her lips had finally given in to his and the kiss was returned. It lingered there for a moment longer. But just as soon as it had come, it was ended. Naevah pulled away from him and her fingers moved to curl around his wrist. Her grip was tight as she pulled his hand away from her face and glared at him. What had just happened? She didn't understand it, or why. And though she tried hiding her emotions, this one was not so easily hidden. It was obvious she was confused by him and his actions. She squeezed his wrist firmly in her grasp, forcing him to lower his hand away from her face and she finally shook her head. "No..." It would seem there would be more coming with that word, but Naevah was seriously at a loss for her words at the moment. He had stolen them from her with the kiss that she still felt lingering and burning at her lips, even though she had pulled away from it not too long ago. Finally, the rest of her words were spoken out, more as a struggle than anything else. "I am not one of those girls..." What in the world was Naevah talking about? She continued to stare at him, her expression looked as if she were trying to be angry at what he had just done, but instead, he'd only see that she was more confused and upset by it for some reason. Not upset at him, but more upset with herself. "I have duties to look after... " Her words were so broken, as if she meant to say more but was holding herself back from saying them. What she was thinking though, was that she had a large responsibility on her hands and could not let herself become weakened by a man that was trying to swoon her with kisses. A war was coming and as she had told Zane when they first met, she didn't like names... She didn't like getting personal, because it would force her to remember them and be hurt by the loss of them should they ever pass on. She and Zane would both be fighting this war. And in separate divisions where they probably would not even be able to watch one another's backs. She needed to focus on the war and fight clear-minded, without having to worry about another person while she fought. But the two of them were already developing a friendship, and she felt she had already allowed herself to risk those feelings from getting to her during war. She slowly stood up from the rock and took a few steps away from him, hand raising to rest on top of her head as she thought of the mistakes she had made in allowing Zane to get too close and to become friendly with him. She just shook her head and then stared back at him, eyes narrowing on him and she spoke almost harshly. "Why did you do that?"

He had paused, lips pressed together but he paused. To Zane, it was like time had stopped, his breathing halted and his mind shut down. But that moment passed and her lips pressed back into his own. His body started to lean in and his fingers started to push further up, pulling her closer. But she pulled away. And when she pulled away she really pulled away. His wrist was captured in her hand and forced to a relaxed position at their waists, just stranded there. She was smart in doing so because with her protest he might have pushed back into another kiss. But he remained and waited for her to formulate the words she obviously wanted to speak. Finally words came but they came chopped and broken. Her confusion seeped into her face and her tone and those words that were half spoken. Zane understood where she was going, he had known that she liked him but he had also known that these would be her protests; he hadn't expected anything less. She just looked so flustered and part of Zane thought it was cute. As she stood up he followed pursuit, his hands brushing off the tops of his thighs before he made his walk towards her. He was about to speak when she suddenly turned around and practically hissed at him. His feet paused and for now he kept his distance from her, several yards away. He wasn't sure what she had meant with her 'I'm not one of those girls' comment but he knew what the rest had meant so he pushed passed it to her protest he did understand. "I would never ask you to stop doing what you are doing. I like you, Naevah whose name starts with an N. I don't want the typical girl who sits at home and waits for the man to arrive... I would never ask that or even want that form you. I like who you are and what you do. I respect you and I thought you would know that by now. I have my own goals too you know? Just today I was told that after the war I might be promoted if I kept up the track I was on." He had been very excited about the conversation he had earlier earlier but he also didn't want to brag about it yet, it was just a conversation and not the actual promotion. But here it came out as he spoke to her, trying to explain himself to her. "I like you, that is why I did it... I would do it again if you'd let me in." He took steps to cover the distance that was between them, his hand moving up to cup the side of her face. He paused there and waited for her reaction, half expecting her to put up a fight to just that.

He had somewhat misunderstood her. She hadn't even thought of it like that, about her having to settle down and be the type of woman he described as staying at home waiting for the man to arrive. She'd never waste her time on a man that would expect that of her. It was more than that though. She wasn't the type of woman that sought out happiness in a man to make her feel complete, or happy. She did not even know what love was, and wasn't even sure it existed. She watced him as he explained that he might be getting a promotion in his division. She did not doubt that he would, and she never doubted that he had goals of his own. Her head tilted slightly as she continued to watch him. He told her why he did it and admitted to wanting to do it again if she'd let him in. But would she? She thought back on the conversation she and her father had the day before. He had apologized to her for putting his duties before her and for not recognizing his love for her. He admitted that she had always been more important to him but he had always made it seem that his status in the kingdom was more important, especially when he sent her off and hadn't gone with her because he didn't want to lose what he had worked so hard for. Was Naevah traveling in the same foosteps as him? The question burned within her mind as she stood there silently, staring at Zane. She thought about the snow fight they had gotten into, and how bitter she had been with him. Something, somewhere, had come along and changed that about her when she was around him and she did not know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that he didn't seem intimidated by her. He wasn't trying to challenge her in a fight to test her skills. He wasn't trying to over power her or make her feel like the weaker person between the two of them. Zane had seemed to accept her for exactly who she was, without ever making a comment or gesture of trying to get her to change, with an exception to wanting to make her laugh and open up a bit more. The little bit of anger that had been upon her features before had melted away, and she stood there without an emotion shown then. She just shook her head at him. "Don't waste your time with me... " That would be all she would say in response to everything he just said. She was pretty much telling him that he could find someone that could give him what he was looking for, perhaps, without all the complications. Someone better than her.

Zane watched her from where he stood, moving in on her slowly. She seemed so tormented by what he had done, a constant struggle was etched through her clear deep blue eyes. He hadn't imagined that his kiss would have effected her so. He also hadn't figured on a lot of things. He also hadn't guessed that she would try the, find something better speech. It was the modest route and Naevah didn't seem very modest, well not about everything. He stood close to her again and his hand moved to press against her cheek. His palm held there and he eased his lips onto his target, her ear. He whispered to her again and the soft deep voice that rolled out to greet her ears so ever softly. "But it wouldn't be a waste of time." His mouth moved down from her ear and with it a trail of his breath. He sought to kiss her lips again, to press out softly against the warrior who kept trying to deny him. He had known since the day they met, when he moved to cover her cut and her eyes drifted from him. She had a hard time looking at him and he had known then that she was already starting to warm to him. But her will was strong and she put up a big resistance, trying to push him away. Just like she was trying to do right now. But Zane pushed forward, with his warm parted lips.

Naevah stood there quietly. Even as he moved in closer and touched her face again, she did not move away from him. She felt his lips move towards her ear before hearing his whisper. She wondered if he would ever change his mind about thinking she was a waste of time. The two did not know everything about one another, and she was sure she wasn't the type of woman to be in a relationship with. She could never picture herself settling down and getting married and having children. She saw herself as a warrior, alone and constantly fighting battles until she'd get too old to do it anymore. But Zane was pushing and testing her buttons now. She wasn't too sure if she understood his reasoning. He admitted to liking her for who she was, but why? Most men wanted the damsel in distress, helpless ladies that depended on a man to do everything for them. Naevah was the complete opposite of that. And she wondered why Zane wouldn't want someone like that as so many other men she had met did. Her eyebrow rose as she felt his warm breath trail away from her ear and down to her lips again. She stared at him with very little emotion in her eyes. Why was he doing this? She had told him not to, but he seemed to insist on it. Again, his lips pressed to hers and she wanted to pull away, to just walk away from all of this, but her feet did not move. It was as if her own body was betraying her right in that moment, keeping her stuck in place, allowing him to do what he was. She couldn't pull back, and she was giving into it. Her eyes slid shut and for even the smallest moment, her lips brushed against his own, but stopped way too soon after. Her hands raised up and were placed on his shoulders. She pulled away from him again and held him back by his shoulders. Eyes shot open and she stared back at him, lips parted to say something but he had once again stolen her words. She tried to collect herself together and it was then that she spoke. "I cannot... " She shook her head. "I cannot let this happen. I'm sorry..." Her eyebrows furrowed, eyes never pulling away from his features, hands never moving off of his shoulders as she pretty much held him back.

He felt her body give in against his own and than, almost instantly, she pulled away. Her body distanced from his and he watched her stammer out her final say. His eyes searched out her's and he than took a step back, retreating to his horse. He decided not to press the issue. He had already pressed it once, and than twice. Three times and he'd strike out. His hands went to push up the flap over his saddle bag and he pulled out another apple. He turned to her, his back resting slightly against his horse's body. He wasn't sure just what he was going to say or how to smooth over the situation that was now before them; hence the silent pause. "Sorry. I won't do it again unless you ask me to." He meant what he said. That was it to the whole situation. It wouldn't happen again unless she wanted it to, unless she changed her mind. The red apple was rubbed into the chest of his shirt and shinned slowly. He wasn't sure what had held her back, why she felt she couldn't despite the cues her her body had started to lead him into. He didn't feel like dwelling on the situation though and he wasn't about to argue with her over it. Instead he brushed the subject away... It was like he told Alex, women were too complicated and he swore them off. " I hope you'll forgive me and still teach me how to read.........Want an apple?"

Naevah watched as he backed away and went to his horse. She stood there confused, even by herself. After he apologized to her and said he wouldn't do it again unless she asked him to, she slowly moved towards him and stood next to him, turned sideways to look at him as he rested his back against his horse. She watched him with the apple and questioned her if she wanted one. She held her hand out to accept the fruit from him but kept quiet for a moment. She shook her head. "I made a promise that I would help you learn to read... I do not make promises that I cannot keep..." She shook her head. "Unless you become my enemy, I won't back down or give up on you so easily." Her lips pressed together, she could still feel his lips there even though they were not. The two of them were so different. She was hot-tempered and stubborn and mostly cold and unmoving. Zane was, for the most part, calm and peaceful and understanding, at least from what she had seen. And he had brought out a nicer side of her in their little meetings with one another. A side that others rarely were able to see in her.

Zane's green eyes followed her as she moved in closer, standing near him again. When she accepted the fruit he allowed it to roll off his hand and down to her's; he would grab another apple from his pouch and set to brushing it off, a much shorter process this time. Teeth sunk into the tough skin and he pulled a chunk free from the large red juicy fruit. After the first bite he would than offer the rest of the apple to his horse, pushing his back off and walking past Naevah to do so. His hand laid to rest under the giant mouth as the horse started to chew at the given treat. The horse slobbered slightly and once done the core was chucked out into the vast difference of the sea. Zane's hand was wiped off into the trousers he wore. He was glad that she didn't seem angered by him and so finally he was able to look at her again. His eyes met hers and his glance was almost timid. " Than we will put this behind us since you so wish it. We will stay focused on the sounds of the letters. Not because that's where his thoughts were but because she had so willed them to be. His mind was actually curious as to why she pushed him away, he was almost certain she didn't want to. If he had thought other wise he wouldn't have pressed on with the second kiss. But he had and she had pushed him away again. His head shook and his hands moved to push through his loose hair as if willing the situation from his mind.

Naevah watched him feed the apple to his horse. She held the apple he gave her in her own hand, fingers lightly twisting at the stem of it. Grey-ish blue eyes wandered away from him and down at the apple for a moment but when he spoke again they moved back to meet with his own. She felt she needed to try and explain herself further after his words were spoken. She sighed and looked away from him and back at the apple she played with. "It is not about me wishing it... It's because it needs to be put behind..." She lifted her eyes again and looked straight at him. She even moved to stand in front of him again. "There is a war coming now... A time to focus on training and preparing and staying strong for whatever is to come. . ." Her words trailed off a bit and she paused before urging her words out. "Not. . . kissing." Her words were spoken with a sincerity and more of a gentle nature than a harsher one. She forced a small smile to him. "And you never know what could be taken from you in war..." So her reasons for pushing him away were coming out a bit more clearer now. She was scared. Her fear of losing someone, she'd come to care for, was one reason she distanced herself so much. She did not want to feel that sense of loss. And she wouldn't let herself or Zane subject themselves to the possibility of that.

Her body now stood before him and he had little choice but to focus on her and her words. She started to explain herself. A contradiction if he had ever heard one before. To Zane it was either that someone wanted something or they didn't. His actions hadn't broken with any laws that he knew of and they didn't intend to break with any duty, so her speech seemed to fall short to him and he found himself growing frustrated by it. They both saw things so differently and his normally ability to to clearly explain himself was lost onto her. His head shook slightly before he calmly spoke to her. "To stay strong is to live your life. If I lose site in my own life than I have already lost the war, to me that is the purpose of it. But you are right, my kissing might distract you." He smiled than a warm joking grin. He had meant it as the boast it came off as, his naturally cocky attitude peeking out than. But his monologue wasn't finished, he had more of himself to explain to her and yet he paused trying to examine how to say it. "This war might cause great loss to us, but so could not living a life full of meaning and passion. You see if you ignore your wants than you might have already lost what is before you. But apparently you think it wiser to give it up before someone takes it from you?" He just didn't see the logic in it and he told her as much, at least he had tried to. " Naevah, whose name starts with an N.... Perhaps you aren't pushing away something you want but rather trying to find something as an excuse. You don't seem the type of woman who would allow for something to be so distracting." He wasn't sure if he believed that last statement and so he stopped right there. His tongue paused in it's speech. He wasn't sure he wanted to wait for her to redirect or if he wanted to just leave before he made more of an arse out of himself. The sun had already set, they were too distracted to see how it descended in all of her glory. Both were too ocupied.

Naevah stood there in front of him, listening to him; to every word that was said. She never interupted him, and her features were kept with very little emotion to allow him to see what affect his words would have on her. She stared at him, eyes slightly narrowing on him once he finished. Zane had guts to stand up to her like that. To tell her that she was wrong in something she believed or thought of. To challenge her as he was. And although she did not want to believe it, she felt he was right in his little argument. She said nothing at first, allowing an awkward silent to linger between them. Her eyes slowly shifted away from him and her face turned to the side. It was obvious she was trying to think of something to say in response. For a while, she said nothing and that apple was lifted and brought to her lips where she took a bite from it and chewed, hoping her thoughts would come more clearly if she occupied it away from Zane for however long she needed to. But once that bite was swallowed, icy blue eyes shifted back to him and lips parted to speak. But still, nothing came out. And so another bite of the apple was taken as she stood there in front of him still, not moving or moving out of his way. She slowly and carefully chewed on the piece of fruit and swallowed again. After, lips parted again and her eyes narrowed at him. ". . . " Still, nothing. She was at battle with herself in her own mind the look in her eyes showed that one side was winning over the other. She was at loss for words. So instead, she acted quickly. Her hand that did not hold the apple lifted and rested at the side of his neck, her fingers weaving into the back of his hair. Her other hand, holding the apple still, raised and she rested her wrist on his shoulder. Her hand on his neck and head pulled him closer as she leaned into him and pressed her lips against his own.

He had been frustrated and as she was at a loss for words he had made a move to mount his horse. His Hand had grabbed the reigns and he was patiently waiting for her to move out of his way. But she didn't she just stood there eating her apple and chewing on her own thoughts. There was a funny look on her face and he wasn't sure about it at all. But then she braved moved in against him, her hand moved to slide over his smooth neck and it backed into his loose brown hair, finger tips curling into the soft strands. He felt her body move its way to his and he was stunned for a moment. It was now his turn to be stunned by her actions. His solid frame, normally straight in posture slumped slightly as their lips once again met. He almost didn't believe her sudden change. But sooner or latter he would react again, his mind catching up to her actions. His lips pulled away and his face actually turned so he could take a bite out of the apple she held at his shoulder. He didn't believe her... what a contradiction? He looked up from the apple and spoke..." I think I should reject you so you know how it feels." He slowly backed away from her grip and moved to finally mount his horse. "I think you need to think about what your getting yourself into, I wouldn't want you changing your mind tomorrow and blaming me for it." Why hadn't he just stood there and accepted the kiss, returning it like his lips obviously wanted to? For some reason he had thought it wasn't what she wanted. Her face had been so emotionless and her words just moments ago had contradicted him. He wasn't sure but something just didn't feel right about it. Perhaps because he no longer wanted to kiss her but rather fight with her, she had frustrated him so much. His body fit into the saddle and he slowly urged his horse to turn, around and around her he went. " Tomorrow I will wait here for your lesson and for your kiss, if you are still willing to give it."

Naevah was pulled away from and Zane put her in her place, rejecting her as she had done twice. He was right for doing it. She did need time to think about it. She had hesitated in that awkward silence between them because she was thinking about his words and how they actually made sense to her. But she'd never admit to that. At least not yet. Her realization was what gave that funny expression on her face, and her unwillingness to admit it left her speechless. Her eyes narrowed at him as he mounted his horse and circled around her. She'd think about it, but whether or not she wanted to kiss him again, she would still go to teach him to read. It was a promise she made him. Even if the promise started out as just reading to him. It had shifted to teaching him how to read. She just stood there, a simple nod given to him as her arms folded around her torso. Another bite of the apple was taken. And once it was swallowed, Naevah said something she never had before. His name. "Good night, Zane.."