The great escape

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Aoife didn’t feel as though she had been away from Ethion all that long, little more than a week or two- and yet so much had happened during her time back at Lasairdubh. From the family dinner and the plans made to move forward and keep the family both safe and respected throughout this war that was only becoming more and more dangerous by the day; to what had happened that morning she had followed Ciaran into the woods. It had been good to see her family again, to be wrapped once more in the familiar chaos only a house full of Lee Fryes, McIntyres, and Devanys could create. Far too much time had passed since Aoife had seen her nephews, they were so big now- it wouldn’t be too long before they came into their gramayre gifts, wouldn’t be too long before they were dragged into this war. The Lee Frye’s had already lost so much to this war, and seeing Uailean’s boys had only made that clearer to her: reminded her of a future she had already lost once and of how fragile life could be.

In short, it had all been a lot. And so when Aoife arrived back in Ethion, to the house her mother and father kept in the capital, the relief she felt was tangible. On the first day, the mystic had slept (and well too, a deep, dreamless sleep) until noon. But once the exhaustion had passed, the nerves began to creep in. Aoife had read over Cian’s letters in secret several times, grey eyes skimming over the words by candlelight- when she was sure her father would be sleeping and she would be safe from him simply dropping in to see how she was doing or to go over the events of Catriona’s dinner. Each time she read them, the increasingly familiar thrill coursed through her: Aoife knew what kind of trouble she would be in should her father find out she was even passing the time of day with one of the DeGraffs… let alone he find out she was beginning to have feelings for one of them. It wasn’t just the thrill of knowing she shouldn’t be spending time with Cian DeGraff , but there was also the nerves that came with the thought of spending more time with him. Their letters hadn’t merely been a polite exchange of words, explaining the events of that day out in the rain, but they had been hopeful. For the first time, the mystic was beginning to feel as though that her life hadn’t ended a year ago, that what made her who she was hadn’t died with Alastair. With Cian it was easy to forget, to lose herself in the moment… and she needed it. Needed him.

But still, even though she missed the rush, the forgetting- the mystic couldn’t bring herself to seek him out straightaway. Doubt had crept in with her return to the capital. When she had been at home, it had been easy to write down her thoughts, to tell him what she had wanted to say when she had simply ran away. But now she was freezing up at the thought of having to put those thoughts into words. There was just too much that could go wrong.

She wasn’t sure how she finally worked up the courage to seek Cian out. Perhaps it was because she had promised him that she would return to Ethion before the week was out, and more than a week had passed since she had sent that letter. Perhaps it was because she did truly want to see him again. Or perhaps it was because Aoife needed to know if whatever they had shared really was a possibility…

It was easy enough to find him, though this time Aoife didn’t seek the guard out at the training ground (though the mystic hadn’t forgotten about the promise of their rematch) but rather in the offices. Even though she had sought out the Captain a few weeks ago- Aoife didn’t wish to feed any rumours, or get caught visiting Cian in a building crawling with Lee Fryes and DeGraffs, so didn’t want to have herself announced. So instead, she casually wandered around the back of the barracks- counting the windows until she found his. She could have climbed in, it wasn’t that high but it occurred to the mystic that there was no normal explanation for her doing that should she be caught. Instead, Aoife threw a small stone, smirking with satisfaction as it clattered against the glass.

When he came to the window (if he came), Aoife would wave awkwardly and gesture for him to come an meet her- pointing to the stables.

[Cian DeGraff]

Was he beginning to doubt that Aoife would return? Perhaps she had changed her mind, and Cian was trying to force himself into thinking that it was fine. In ways, she'd be smart to keep her distance, and yet, to forget her written words proved far more difficult than he expected. He'd never been so open and forward like that before, not to someone outside of his family, and now he was doubting himself again.

So, he pored himself into work. After the latest Unseelie attack, all guard were on heavy alert, and more were stationed within the city, the outskirts of the castle, anywhere they feared a Mystic might try and infiltrate again. They had been too lax the last time, and it was unsettling. It actually made him nervous, and after awhile, Cian found himself taking on a particular task himself.

He wanted to find the Seelie camp.

They had to have fled somewhere, hadn't they? They were still somewhere in Teronna, and not all of them were disguising themselves amongst the people. No, they were somewhere, laying low, keeping safe, and this DeGraff was daring to find the hive. He felt like he had to, and not just for Cara and Muriel, but everyone he held dear. It was this dumb idea he just couldn't seem to get out of his head, and when he set his mind to something, it could become a little dangerous.

Cian stood at his desk in the small office, studying every inch of a Terronian map. The Warden had been doing this for days now, knowing every inch of the island by heart at this point. He was aware that it wasn't healthy, but it was the only thing keeping him occupied, keeping him busy and not allowing himself to think about a certain pair of grey eyes until he was completely distracted.

And that was a very easy to do. Especially when a finger trailed along a particular stretch of beach on the map. His posture slumped as he hung his head, shutting his eyes for a second while he tried to refrain from a pathetic sigh. The fact that he couldn't concentrate on even this task now was somewhat laughable, and he chuckled lowly to himself just as he heard something sharply ping against the window. "What the-"

Standing upright, letting the map roll up into itself again, Cian approached the window to glance down. And suddenly he stopped breathing. Aoife was there, gesturing towards the stables, and he was fairly certain she wasn't just some figment of his imagination. After standing there blinking like an idiot for what felt like a moment too long, he was disappearing from her view.

It wasn't much longer after that he was approaching the stables, almost cautiously as he realized he was actually nervous to even see her again. Things had certainly changed, things had happened although they'd only exchanged written words about them. What was he supposed to say? Should he just act like everything was fine and normal, that nothing was really different? Should he say something about it?

Suddenly, Camille's voice was echoing in his head, reminding him that he "wasn't very good at this" and telling him to calm down. Everything is fine.

Regardless, he nervously filtered a hand through those dark curls as he entered the stables, immediately looking around for her. Maybe he should be concerned about whether she was going to surprise-attack him or not, but Cian wasn't entirely thinking about their rematch right now.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Oh good, he had seen her. In the few seconds that had passed between striking the window and Cian appearing, Aoife had managed to conjure several scenarios about how this half-thought-out plan could have failed: she could have missed the window; managed to ping the pebble onto the wrong window; she could have miscounted and caught the attention of someone else entirely, Uailean had an office somewhere in this building after all and so did many of Cian’s relatives- something told her that wouldn’t end well for her. Luckily, her plan had paid off, and that increasingly familiar mop of curls appeared, those blue eyes blinking in surprise.

Maybe she should have just knocked on the door, rumours be damned.

Well it was too late to go back now. If she had been nervous that morning, it seemed like nothing in comparison to how she felt now as she made her way to the stables. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest that Aoife would swear blind that not only could she feel it, but that she could hear it- pounding in her ears and blocking out the distant hustle of the barracks. The sound of ringing metal and shouted drills seemed so far away. Aoife stopped before she pushed open the stable door, forcing herself to take a deep inhale and slow exhale in the hopes of steadying herself. It almost worked, the mystic found her breath and heart rate slowing almost back to normal. Almost.

The slight calm she had managed to wrestle back was gone in an instant as soon as Cian DeGraff entered the stables. What did she say? What could she say? Hi, I got your letters? That was stupid, he knew that, she had responded after all. The moment drew out, to the point where it would be weird if she didn’t say anything at this point. ”Sorry I’m late, things got a little complicated at home...” Aoife said at last, speaking softly and adding another apology to the ever increasing number that had already passed between them. ”So, I guess- I guess we should talk? I’m sorry-” Yet another apology. ”- I’m not good at this, any of this, if that-” Sighing, Aoife raised a hand to massage her forehead. ”-if that wasn’t painfully obvious at this point. Whatever this is.”

[Cian DeGraff]

Foolishly, he was still wondering if he had been following a figment of his imagination, and yet he didn't seem to stop to question himself as he stepped inside the stables. The spring sun poured in through the windows but he still had to squint his eyes a little as they adjusted to the change in light. And when he saw her, he completely forgot how to breathe again. This was becoming a reoccurring problem.

His own nerves were somewhat frayed and his heart was still doing that stupid, obnoxious thundering inside of his chest. His steps had ceased the moment he saw her, leaving a distance of a few feet between them. Something had forced him to stop because he didn't entirely trust himself to get too close yet, not really sure of what he would do. Cian didn't even know what to say and had been trying to prepare himself for this moment for days. Silly, maybe, yet it didn't seem to matter now as words completely escaped him.

The silence lingered on longer, and he was on the verge of being ridiculously impulsive when she managed to speak. He let out a slow and steady breath, slowly feeling more at ease to know he wasn't the only one still lost. They understood each other, in that sense, regardless of whether or not they understood what to do about any of it.

A corner of his mouth curled up into an amused, crooked grin, hearing her apologize more than once. "I thought we weren't doing the sorry thing anymore..." he mused quietly, allowing himself to take just a couple of steps closer. His brow lifted in mocking surprise, speaking again to try and maybe ease the tension a little. "Oh, yes...it's horribly obvious-" A pause, his gaze dropped to the ground for a few seconds. A gentle huff of a laugh escaped him, and the Warden seemed to be shaking his head at himself. "I suppose we're both bad at it. But...I'm glad to see you." Cian drifted to the side, leaning against one of the vertical beams of a stall when those blue eyes found her again.

Yes, play it casual. That'll work. He nearly rolled his eyes at himself.

"Did you enjoy your trip?" he finally asked. Cian didn't want to outright say it, but perhaps she'd pick up on his attempt at steering them slightly off topic, to maybe lessen that tension. He often said too much when it came to emotions (or so he swiftly came to realize), and she struggled with it. They always seemed to do better with just being natural, just being around each other. But if she wanted to take a stab at talking about whatever this was, she was welcome to it. After all, didn't she say she didn't mind him making a fool of himself? Because he certainly would, and only for her.

Cian was immediately wanting to see that smile of hers again.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Was she overthinking? She was probably overthinking. It was always so easy with Cian, until she started thinking. But once she started thinking, Aoife didn’t seem to be able to make herself stop. It wasn’t much comfort to know, or at least sense, that Cian was just as lost as she was… adrift in the same sea and swept away by the same current. The mystic watched the soldier with mild curiosity as he moved closer, and trailed after him as he moved to the side- making himself comfortable against one of the beams. She moved to do the same, hopping up to use a barrel as a makeshift seat for the time being- the movement gave her a second or two to collect what was left of her useful thoughts. ”No, we weren’t, were we?” Aoife had to stop herself apologising once more, this time for apologising- and the ridiculousness of it brought the ghost of a smile to her lips. What a pair they made. But at least they both knew it.

Glancing at the ground, the mystic inspected the patterns made by the fallen straw and pieces of clod that had been discarded by near countless hooves- it seemed the stable hadn’t been swept in some time. But she was getting distracted. ”You too, it sounds so foolish- I mean we hardly know each other, but I did miss you. I could have done with an afternoon throwing pebbles into the sea over the last couple of weeks.” Aoife had finished speaking by the time she finally lifted her gaze to find Cian DeGraff again- it was easier to be honest when she didn’t have to meet those blue eyes of his. ”Foolish, right?” She asked, managing to look at him this time.

Somehow this was more difficult than it had been in every imaginary scenario she had conjured. At least nothing was on fire. Thankfully, Cian had steered the topic away from them and onto something much simpler. ”To a degree, it was good to see everyone again- but my mother has it in her head that the capital isn’t safe anymore after the Unseelie attack. You know how it is…” Trailing off, the mystic rounded off her words with a short sigh- long fingers running through her hair as she cautiously picked through the next words. There was so much she couldn’t tell the soldier: the reason Catriona had called her family home, what had been discussed at dinner, what had happened that morning she had followed Ciaran into the woods- the more Aoife thought about it, the longer the list seemed to grow. Add those to how she was currently feeling towards Cian, all the conflict and confusion, and it seemed as though the mystic was full of secrets. It was a wonder she hadn’t burst. ”How is your brother?” She asked, genuine concern in her tone- it could have just as easily been one of her brothers or even Cian that day. As an added bonus, it shifted focus away from the Lee Fryes before Aoife slipped up and said something she shouldn’t.

[Cian DeGraff]

The moment he had seen that ring, it was nothing but overthinking. It had calmed somewhat when he had written to her, and she explained things a little more. However, that eventually just led to even more overthinking and it's been a wonderful yet vicious cycle ever since. Cian just learned what he should voice and what he should keep to himself, because the last thing he wanted to do was frighten her off. He had not forgotten her loss and what it must have done to her, nor was he about to act like it didn't matter. What didn't matter was how he felt- if she needed time, he was patient.

Except, it was becoming a little difficult to remember anything while he casually kept his distance, and she just shortened it.

Blues quietly watched her as she took the seat on the barrel, garnering a more genuine smile from him at her admittance. Not that she hadn't already said so in one of her letters, but to actually hear her say she missed him? Well, it did something to him. When Aoife finally managed to look back to him, she would find that his attention hadn't drifted away from her that entire time. His lips pursed in thought, trying to figure out what to say, and eventually just offered a light shrug of a shoulder, "I see nothing foolish about it..." Guess he was just going to be straight-to-the-point honest.

Cian's demeanor shifted a little at the mention of the Unseelie. So much was suddenly revolving around that, and she was soon reminding him of Dunstan. That was when his gaze finally fell down to his boots, arms folding across his chest. "He's doing okay, fortunately...but it had been close." Too close, and all he could think was "not again, please don't let this happen again." "If Rowan hadn't been there, if he hadn't gotten to him when I couldn't..." It was a thought that plagued him far too many times than he'd like to admit, despite that everything worked out mostly alright in the end. It would help if Arieen would stop her hovering and babying of all of them. Yet one didn't argue with Lady DeGraff, especially when it came to the wellbeing of her children.

The air around him was suddenly tense and he swallowed a hard lump in his throat. While Aoife had been able to avoid slipping up and saying something she shouldn't have, Cian didn't quite have the same luxury. The Unseelie- well, Mystics in general- were a sour point with him, and the latest attack had only increased his hatred. He was clenching his jaws then, falling silent for a long moment until he blurted out the words before he could stop himself.

"I'm trying to find them." Cian looked back to her, and there was this sudden and strange feeling that washed over him. He didn't know if he was telling her this because he thought maybe she'd help...or that she'd stop him. Truthfully, he didn't know what to think. "The Mystics...they have a camp somewhere..." He just stopped talking before he made it worse.

Yes, he was an idiot, but one hellbent on revenge.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

”Well, that’s good to know, I much prefer it when you’re the foolish one anyway.” She joked, though the smile on her lips was somewhat forced- not quite reaching her eyes. Aoife would have given anything to go back to that winter’s day on the beach. Before the Unseelie attack, before she had ruined their sparring session, even before they had admitted how they felt through letters. It had been so much simpler. ”I just don’t know” Aoife sighed heavily, struggling to find the words. ”I didn’t think I would- wasn’t sure-” I’m making a mess of this, just be honest. ”I didn’t think, didn’t think I would miss someone like that again- I don’t know, I just always supposed it was a one chance kind of thing. But-” Running out of steam again, Aoife’s head found her hands and she mumbled the last few syllables into her palms. ”I’m just confused.”

It was so much easier to talk about his brother, to talk about anything else. At least it was for Aoife, but she didn’t miss the way Cian’s gaze drifted away when the conversation shifted to Dunstan, shifted to talk of the Unseelie, ”Nothing good comes from reliving it Cian…” The woman warned, her voice was soft, gentle. She believed it. But she also knew it was much easier said than it was done, afterall… Aoife was incapable of following her own advice in this instance. ”He’s okay, and he will be okay- hold onto that, not what might have happened.” Part of her wanted to reach out, to comfort him, but the mystic thought better of it- instead Aoife brought her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. She found the soldier with grey eyes as he finally looked back to her.

I’m trying to find them… the mystics

She shouldn’t have been surprised, surely the King had the entire army seeking out those who had brought such chaos and destruction to his little party. Again, Aoife felt her heart pounding against her ribcage. Though this time it was more than just nerves. This time it was fear. Fear for Cian himself, the mystics were dangerous, and as capable as she knew he was… Aoife didn’t fancy his chances against a camp full of mystics. And fear for her family, even though Aoife wasn’t certain of where her brother’s loyalties lay… there was the suspicion that at least one of the Lee Frye boys knew where to find the camp. ”You can’t-” She stammered out at last, voice cracking at the second word, there were several reasons why the mystic didn’t want him out hunting other gramyre users… but Aoife only voiced one: ”Cian, you saw what happened at the party- the guards didn’t chase the Unseelie off. They chose to retreat. They’re dangerous.”

Not that the soldier needed her to tell him that. Aoife knew he had lost a sister, and recently nearly lost a brother to the mystics he was hunting. She knew it was that loss which had driven him forward for so long, pushing the soldier rather than paralysing as it had her.

[Cian DeGraff]

'Well, that’s good to know, I much prefer it when you’re the foolish one anyway.' Give him time, and he'd probably be making himself the fool somehow, whether it was saying something or showing off his rather unimpressive skills at skipping stones. For the briefest of moments, he was transported back to that day and the carefree feeling it had given him. That she had given him. When she continued to speak, she was drawing him back to the present and he couldn't seem to stop smirking. This time, Aoife was the one talking too much, but he didn't mind it at all. If anything, it was kind of cute and was only solidifying those strange, growing feelings he had towards her.

Cian had shifted onto his side to face her, because it had been instinct to go to her before he stopped himself. Boundaries in this kind of situation were what confused him, so he held himself back. Especially with what she said. "There's...nothing wrong with being confused, Aoife," he began, unsure of where he was even going with this. Hell, honesty was what was working, so why change it now? "And I hope it's not wrong of me to say...that I'm glad it's been possible. Not a one chance thing." His smile was faint, understanding, that hopefulness seeping in. He couldn't help it, but Cian was trying to find that balance between the respect he felt she deserved over her loss and what he wanted.

These thoughts were broken by his dumb confession, and it wasn't of the romantic kind.

Aoife was immediately comforting him over Dunstan, knowing exactly where his mind had wandered. Reminding himself that his brother was fine did help, but every time he saw Dunny, the "what if" was so loud. It wasn't his fault, he knew...but he was terrified. This war felt like it was escalating faster, and it wasn't entirely two sides anymore. It was so much more than that now.

"I know..." he acknowledged her, trying to force himself to believe it. He partially did, but it was her reaction to the foolish idea he couldn't seem to ignore was what really grabbed a hold of him. Cian had glanced away briefly, knowing he probably sounded like a complete idiot, until that crack in her voice.

'You cant.'

It stilled him immediately, and it was this painful tug on his heart in two totally different directions. She was right, of course, but at the same time if he was able to find their location at the very least? It would be an advantage. The guards were clearly not out scouting, but he was aware that the Wardens were trying push a little further, willing to take bigger risks. And he was one of them.

Yet, in that very moment, he didn't want to go anywhere anymore. That wasn't fair. She shouldn't have that power, that hold on him yet, and she probably didn't even know it.

"And what happens when they attack again?" he asked her, slight desperation in his tone. "They're going to keep coming, keep killing, keep taking-" Cian had to stop himself, feeling his blood begin to boil, but his anger towards these people did not rise to the surface. It just lingered there, waiting to be unleashed.

He shifted once again to lean back against the beam, a hand running down his face to try and clear his head. "I'm sorry, I'm just...drifting back there again." Into his thoughts, into that darkness. He'd mentioned losing himself on occasion, and it wasn't just because of losing Cara or with that magical gift he possessed. That was a whole other level. Now, he was unable to look at her. "You're right." The true question was- would he actually give up the search?

"Sorry-" Well, guess they were both back to apologizing. "This wasn't how I wanted this day to go," he confessed with a small, tired laugh. A day he had begun to worry wasn't going to happen. Now that she was finally there, he was probably making it worse than before.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Aoife wasn’t sure if she actually felt better for voicing her thoughts aloud, talking through her feelings was something she just never did. Not that she had really talked them through but rather, just thrown them out into the air and regretted it immediately. Voicing it only made it more real, more tangible, more dangerous. If the ground could open up right about now, that would be perfect. Cian was speaking before the woman had lifted her head from her hands to look at him- she had missed the smirk, but she didn’t miss the small smile that still lingered on his face. She wished they were talking about something else, and he was wearing the stupid grin she had grown so fond of recently. But, they weren’t, the mystic had opened these doors- it was only fair she had to deal with what was behind them.

The soldier was right, there wasn’t anything wrong with how she was feeling, the confusion and conflict she just couldn’t seem to express with any eloquence. ”It’s not wrong of you to say. Not even a little bit.” She said after a short pause. Aoife was glad it had been possible too, glad that the passing of time had brought pieces of herself back to her, glad for the small pieces of closure her trek up Nephim peak. She was grateful, more than Cian would probably ever know, for the moments he had given her- the space from it all when it had all been just too much. Even if the soldier had expressed similar sentiments in his letters. He had told her that she had brought him back from the darkness he often lost himself in, and that she had done so without even trying. Perhaps that was why they had gotten along so well, the mystic needed the soldier to tether her to this world- just as he needed her to bring him back to the light. ”And I am glad you wrote that first letter, I’m not sure if I told you that.” With a weak smile, Aoife uncoiled herself a little- legs once again dangling down rather than tucked up tight against her chest. Maybe she did feel better after all, at least this was better than running away in the rain.

Aoife knew he didn’t quite believe her, but she didn’t blame him at all. The what if game was all too easy to play, and all too easy to get addicted to. How many hours had she lost wondering what might have been if she had only done one tiny thing differently. She had even fallen into that trap with Cian, wondering how things might have ended if she hadn’t been such a coward. But the mystic didn’t say any more on the matter, knowing full well that there was nothing she could say that would magically stop the thoughts that were probably racing through his mind every time he thought of Dunstan.

The desperation in his tone stilled her, cooled her blood until she was almost sure her heart had stopped beating. Aoife felt helpless. Trapped between a rock and a hard place. Knowing she couldn’t make it go away even if she tried. Family first. She didn’t want the soldier going after the mystics, Unseelie, Seelie or otherwise. At the same time, she didn’t want to ever see hurt in those blue eyes. ”Then you do your job and protect people, Cian. Like you did at the King’s party- like how you got my cousin to safety.” She wanted to reach out, to touch him, to comfort the man with more than the empty words she had at her disposal- but she didn’t, at least not yet.

”You’ve seen what they can do Cian, they’ve already taken so much.” Don’t let them take you too. That was true, the Unseelie had taken his sister, her fiance, and almost taken his brother. ”Well stop that, stay here.” Stay with me. Aoife had forced a smile, injected some humour into her tone. But a very real fear gripped her: she had only just managed to put the pieces of her heart back together, there was no way she would survive the heartbreak of losing Cian so soon after finding him. ”Just don’t go running off into the woods. Or if you’re going to, just don’t go alone, please.”

”Ah, so we are doing the whole apology thing again…” Aoife said lightly, a natural smile finally tugging at her lips. ”Me neither, but, I suppose I should have expected some melodrama.”

[Cian DeGraff]

She wasn't even back ten minutes, and he was making things weird and complicated. Was he really that much of an idiot?

No, it was because she was one of the few people he found he could easily speak to. Even with that budding tension between them, he could never seem to lie to her. He didn't have much reason to, and yet some might argue that he had no reason to trust her either. Cian didn't much care about listening to that logic, clearly.

It was refreshing that she was being so openly- albeit strangely- honest right now. Maybe it was helping him draw out of that darkness a little further, reminding me of how foolish of an idea it was to even consider. For weeks, all he wanted to do was be where he was now, with her, and it didn't matter where or what they were doing. This- he had missed this. He needed this.

'And I am glad you wrote that first letter, I'm not sure if I told you that.' "No, you didn't...but something tells me you wouldn't have had a problem telling me to sod off if it had been too much." He spoke in teasing affection, of course. It had been such a surprise as well as relief when she had written back, because after a few days, Cian began to wonder if he had stepped too far. That was also something he would have to get used to. Aoife told him he was not wrong for hoping, for being glad about all of this, but he was still hesitant. With so many things.

The small distance between them was bothering him, especially when he began to spiral a little.

It would get better, he realized. Dunstan would heal, he would go about his day as normal, and would continue his obnoxious charades. Then everything would be a bit easier. Just right now, it was this constant back and forth and he was trying to find a hook to keep him anchored until then. Well, a pair of beautiful grey eyes weren't a bad start.

"I know," he said quietly. He'd drifted from the army to station himself within the guard because it was easier to do so as a Warden. The kingsguard protected. The soldiers charged into battle. He often struggled with remembering that. Maybe it was why he thought about jumping ship again to switch back, but there had been so many other things that were far more important and garnered his attention first.

'You’ve seen what they can do Cian, they’ve already taken so much.' Far too much.

'Well stop that, stay here.' That grabbed his attention again, his expression softening. I could stand to stay here for awhile... he thought to himself, a ghost of a smirk twitching at the corner of his mouth even if he didn't say it.

"I won't go alone," Cian answered her quietly, yet couldn't seem to add, I promise to the end like he had originally intended to. Although they had taken this slightly dark detour (all thanks to his inability to shut his mouth), she was drawing them back. Maybe it was a topic she was trying to avoid, however, she was reminding him of just how "melodramatic" he could be.

Lips pressed tightly together as though he were trying not to smile, but it was already there, glinting in his eyes. "Yes, we are," he echoed with a slight nod, pushing off from the beam. "Sorry for that." No, he wasn't, but now it was going to be a "thing", especially if it amused her enough to cause her to smile like she was now. Frankly, that was all he wanted at the moment.

He approached slowly, deliberately closing the space between them at a languid pace. She would have the time to move, but should she remain seated upon that barrel, Aoife would find herself "trapped" as he leaned down; both hands gripping the edges of the barrel on either side of her thighs. Cian kept his face back as much as this position allowed but he didn't bother hiding the drop of his eyes to her mouth for the briefest of seconds. "And how did you see this day going?" he challenged innocently, despite his movements.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Perhaps she was speaking so candidly (and so much) because it was long overdue, Aoife couldn’t remember the last time she had opened up to anyone. Yet Cian had stumbled into her life and it had been almost too easy to trust him. She wouldn’t have been able to explain it even if she tried. Weakness wasn’t something Lee Frye’s often showed, their reputation was what kept the family alive and out of trouble, to show weakness was to expose the entire family to danger. But here she was, admitting she was confused, admitting she had missed him, even admitting that she had thought this wasn’t something she would ever feel again. It wasn’t easy to open up this much, even to the soldier. But with Cian it didn’t seem impossible. Especially when he teased her like that, affection in his tone, drawing her out of her own thoughts and back into the moment- he was good at that.

”I don’t know, I would have felt a little bad- hurting your feelings by telling you to sod off.” She admitted with a shrug, pausing for just a moment. ”It would be like kicking a puppy.” She grinned at that, easily slipping back behind those defenses. It might have been difficult to open up, but teasing him was easy. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed his company so much. Even if they were still figuring out where the boundaries lay, what lines had been drawn between them, it was easy to forget they were there at all.

Aoife wanted to tell him about what had happened whilst she had been away. Not exactly what had happened at dinner, but she wanted to tell him about Ciaran and Myra, wanted to tell him about how much she had missed Teddy and how comforting it was to wake up in the middle of the night and have him there to chase off the nightmares. It was strange, wanting to share so much with someone else- it was something else that she had forgotten the feeling of. Now she felt it like a hurricane, relentless and disorientating. But she didn’t, instead she chewed on her lower lip as she watched the man drift away- knowing Cian was slipping away into his thoughts no matter how many times he said ‘I know’.

So when his expression softened, and those blue eyes found her again: Aoife welcomed the relief it brought her. Though she wasn’t sure how much she believed him when he said he wouldn’t go alone. The mystic had seen him at the party, seen the way he had rushed towards his brother without a second thought. She had also heard the grief in his voice whenever he spoke of his sister, of his twin, and Aoife knew just how quickly grief could fester into revenge and how quickly common sense could dissipate in the face of it. If he was proposing any other mission, she would have offered to go with him- to keep him safe. But this, this she couldn’t do. ”Okay.” Aoife said at last, speaking the word in one heavy exhale.

Grey orbs followed his movements, noticing everything as the soldier pushed off from the beam he had been leaning against. Her breath caught in her throat and stilled as he closed the gap between them. Slowly. Deliberately. Suddenly Aoife knew exactly how the mouse felt as it was stalked by the cat. Despite the sudden surge of adrenaline, the sudden pounding of her heart, the mystic was paralysed- she couldn’t will herself to move.

How had she seen this day going?

Well, Aoife hadn’t thought that far ahead. It had been enough of an endeavour to get herself here. ”I-” She began, practically forcing herself to take a breath. He was too close, she couldn’t hide the flush that came to her cheeks or look anywhere else. Her gaze darted across his features, lingering perhaps a little too long on his lips. ”- I can’t say I thought that far ahead.”

[Cian DeGraff]

It was kind of strange, wasn't it? Sure, their families had found themselves in this ridiculous feud, one that he was fairly certain his generation did not understand (nor truly cared to), and it had taken this long for the two of them to speak more than a few words to each other. He hadn't actively avoided her, really, it had just been so ingrained into his head to ignore any Lee Frye. That proved difficult when they were just as prominent and large in number as the DeGraffs. The war on magic also probably played a big part- it was far more important than anything else, he felt.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if he had avoided her that day at the docks. Would their time on the beach have been as carefree? Would he have simply moved on once he realized he obstructed her view? Would the match in the training yard have been less exhilarating, would it have even happened at all?

Would they be together now, facing each other with minds full of questions and confused emotions?

It was difficult to think that none of this had been fate. Cian could be a bit sentimental, but maybe that was a bit far-fetched, even for him.

'It would be like kicking a puppy.' That immediately had him laughing. Perhaps he should have been offended, or at least pretended to be, but there was no hiding his amusement from that one. She was certainly drifting back to her usual self, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

Yet, maybe her jabs and grins were what spurred him that close, daring himself to test the boundaries of this thing neither of them really understood. Maybe that was the point? Why did they have to comprehend everything? Why not just be themselves, like nothing had really changed? Well, maybe because things had, evident by the way his heart pounded inside his chest, the thoughts that drifted into his head, and the lovely pink shade of her cheeks all of a sudden. Cian might have liked that a bit too much.

"I didn't either," he quietly confessed, his voice barely audible as he lifted his attention back up to her eyes. The only thing he was thinking about right now was her mouth, wondering if he had enough courage to do what he'd thought about for a fleeting moment during their spar. It had been such a surprising want that had felt wrong, simply because it was almost random. Not now. No- now, ever since her first letter, it was something he couldn't stop wondering about.

So, why wasn't he just taking this chance?

A slight tilt of his head, one of his hands rose absently to tuck a loose strand of dark hair behind her ear. He was taking this moment of quiet to study her face a little more closely, and for once didn't feel ashamed for it. He'd casually watched her before, looked at her while she spoke, but this was different. So very different. Once again, he was asking himself- why had he never noticed her before all of this?

Fingertips brushed along her jaw, before gently grasping her chin. His thumb ran just underneath her bottom lip as he drew in a deep and slow breath, unable to keep himself from looking down at that mouth again. "Do you have somewhere to be anytime soon?" Oh, he wasn't actually insinuating anything like that, but she likened him to a puppy.

Alright then. We'll see about that.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Like the soldier, Aoife had often paused to wonder where they might have been had Cian not disturbed her peace on the docks that day. She had imagined a multitude of ‘what if’s’ and ‘what might have been’ had she not taken that walk, had she brushed him off instead of letting him draw her out of those thoughts and into conversation, if she had not sought him out at the barracks. Likewise, she wondered why Cian had stopped to talk to her, why he hadn’t just kept walking on the beach that day, why he had taken the time to pen that letter… what would have happened if he hadn’t? Would they have gone back to being awkward strangers? Either way, she was relieved things were unfolding the way they were and that Aoife hadn’t ruined things before they had even begun.

It seemed almost ironic that they had avoided each other for the very reasons they were now helping each other to forget- the long-standing feud, the grief that had hollowed them both out from the inside, the tensions that were slowly guiding their kingdom towards civil-war. It all melted away, became little more than background noise when she was with Cian- even though the man should, on account of his name, be nothing more than a reminder of it all. Strange how that worked out.

Her thoughts wandered back to Ciaran, Do you have some huge damn secret that would make this look like nothing? She might not have thought it at the time, that morning in Greyshollow, back then what she had with the soldier was a few chance encounters, a letter, and a fluttering in her chest whenever her mind strayed to thoughts of him. Hardly a huge secret. Just a little one. Besides, Aoife didn’t truly understand the feud- didn’t comprehend just why she should be avoiding Cian and the other DeGraffs. What Aoife did understand was that her mother would put an end to this if she were to find out, she might not have known what Catriona would do if she found out about Ciaran’s daughter…. But she knew exactly what would happen should any of the older Lee Fryes found out that Aoife was here with a DeGraff. What would happen if they saw her sitting there, cheeks flushed pink and paralysed by his closeness- if they knew she liked it.

The mystic leaned slightly into his touch without thinking, the warmth of his skin somehow both comforting and electrifying all at once. And again, Aoife forgot to breathe for a moment or two. ”Not exactly, lady of leisure remember?” She admitted lightly. No, there was nothing to do today, nowhere to be, and as long as she was home for dinner- there would probably be no questions asked about where she had spent her afternoon or who she had spent it with. ”But-” her voice still low, her tone turned almost teasing, almost challenging, as she leaned a little closer. So close that could see the different flecks of blue that coloured his irises, close enough the he would doubtlessly be able to feel her soft breaths against his skin: ”Aren’t you supposed to be working?”

But then again, he had made a habit of disturbing her peace recently- it seemed only fair that she return the favour this once.

[Cian DeGraff]

It was very easy to forget a lot when he was with her: surnames, jobs, the reasons he tended to drift a little too far into his mind where he was nearly unable to crawl back out. Cian had expressed such to her already, and it was currently making him forget where they were. He was being awfully brazen right now without thinking about the consequences. They weren't exactly out in the open, but this was a public place, one that was swarming with DeGraffs and Lee Fryes alike.

In truth, Cian wasn't a foolish man. She just made him a fool. An amused and happy one, at least, and he obviously didn't mind at all.

Still, should someone see him lingering so close, should word that he was even speaking with her reach his parents, he was quite aware of the hell he would have to pay. He could see the fury on his mother's face already. Right now, it was so easy to say that he didn't care, but Cian knew better, yet maybe being the good son was getting a little old.

How was he to remember his place when this woman didn't move from his touch? How was he supposed to even think straight when her voice took on that teasing tone and she was leaning in closer? He was but a man, and he was suddenly a very weak one. There was no concept of time, realization of their surroundings- there was nothing right now but a pair of grey eyes watching him.

Gods, save me.

She was talking, and her words pulled a corner of his mouth into a lopsided grin. "Something like that," he answered. Clearly, he didn't care, and would sneak right out of there with her at a moment's notice. It seemed that was what he was implying anyway, considering she had no where else to be. If he went back into that office now, he would just lose himself in that stupid task he gave himself. It wasn't ideal, and now that he knew she was finally back, that she was there, he could skip out on work for one day.

Still, he didn't move away, inwardly fighting with himself on whether or not to be brazen. He'd be a liar if he claimed he hadn't thought about kissing her ever since their spar. Now, the need was even greater, momentarily stunning him as he spoke again; his voice dropping dangerously low, "We're going somewhere then. Wherever you want." Maybe he'd have some suggestions if he could get his head on straight, but her mouth was distracting him once more.

Just do it, you coward.

Cian should have drawn back moments ago, and it might seem like he was finally coming to his senses when he pulled his fingers from her chin to lean back. No, he was pausing himself midway, warring with the sudden flood of thoughts in his mind before all but one flew right out the window. He had his chance now, and he was going to take it.

Turning back to her, that hand moved to the nape of her neck, supporting himself on the barrel with the other still. There was an apology on his tongue or maybe it was a warning that he couldn't seem to share before his lips gently crashed against her own for a kiss that almost felt too soon yet somehow long overdue.

[Aoife Lee Frye]

Like Cian, Aoife had all so easily fallen into the trap of not only forgetting who they were, but also where they were. Even if the stables were a quieter part of the barracks, it wasn’t exactly private. But, the mystic didn’t care, at least not in that moment. Right now she was distracted, it was taking everything she had just to keep herself thinking- even thinking clearly seemed to be just out of reach for the moment. She didn’t want to think about Lee Frye’s and DeGraffs, angry mothers and furious fathers… no, the mystic didn’t want anything to ruin this moment. Not this time.

The grin of his was back, curling at the corner of his lips and chasing away the last few dregs of coherent thought. She didn’t care that she was distracting him, didn’t care that she had pulled him away from his duties, and in that moment she didn’t care if someone did walk through the door. She probably wouldn’t have even noticed- the soldier had a way of doing that, of capturing her attention and then holding it. He had managed to do it at the party, amidst all that chaos. And now he was so close, Aoife wouldn’t have been able to drag her thoughts away if she had tried.

”Somewhere.” She echoed, still not quite able to focus on anything other than those bright blue orbs. His low voice sending a thrill racing through her with each and every syllable. ”Anywhere, I don’t mind.” She didn’t mind, they could stay right here for all she cared. It didn’t matter if they went back to the docks, to the beach, even if they just went back to the sparring grounds. It might have been awkward at first, the stumbled conversations as they tried to work out where they stood and what had changed over the exchange of their letters- but now, things felt like they had been that day at the beach: easy and carefree.

But then he was drawing back, and for a brief second Aoife thought she had done it again. Thought she had said something wrong and ruined it again. Eyes widened just a fraction as she tried to hide her disappointment, shoulders dropping just a little. The mystic had just opened her mouth to apologise, again, when Cian paused- seeming to hesitate half-way between pulling back and coming back to her.

This time, Aoife didn’t have the time to open her mouth to speak, to apologise for whatever she had done or not done. But then his lips were on hers and the mystic froze again. Barely for a moment, just long enough to realise what was happening. And then she melted. Heart still pounding as her eyes fluttered closed.

Aoife would have been lying if she said she hadn’t thought about this, ever since he had gotten a little too close after their sparring match in the rain, more so since he had written that first letter. In each of those imaginings, the moment had still been tinged with guilt, the feeling that she had been betraying Alasdair’s memory by being this close to another man. Now it was actually happening: Aoife felt no guilt, no remorse, just the warmth of his lips against hers, the slight tickle of his beard, and the skipping of her heart in her chest.

She wasn’t sure who broke the kiss first, wasn’t sure how long it had been before eyes blinked open and time began to move forward once again at it’s normal speed. ”Don’t.” Aoife breathed, her own lips curling into a grin now ”-Don’t apologise.”