A Place to Think-continued

[Graebelle]

He hadn't at first appeared startled or upset by her words, and so when he did react to them she was surprised. What had she said to set him off so? Was it so wrong to wish the man she liked could meet with the only family she had in this town? Something apparently had to be wrong with it for Rhys to act this way, and she struggled for a moment as she felt his hold on her tighten to figure it out. What ever the reason had affected him greatly, she noted, feeling the way he began to tremble as he held her. Maybe he didn't want to meet her aunt?

It made much more sense when he spoke, getting out into words the worry he was feeling. What he said was true. She would never be able to mention him to her family, to anyone, or else she would rish their lives. It was pretty much common knowledge how much humans hated Darklings, how ready they were to kill them and anyone who sided with them. They were a threat to their way of life, a people not to be taken lightly. To know that one of their own had fallen for one of them, even if only the slightest bit, Sarah knew it spelled disaster on both ends. There would be no meeting between Rhys and her aunt, no time to introduce her relative to this wonderful man who seemed to care for her and treat her as a gentleman should. It was painful, since she would have loved for them to meet, but she didn't want to risk this.

She needed to say something to calm him down. His mind seemed to be racing away with this idea, letting these thoughts get to him as if it really might happen. Sarah knew she needed to say something fast in order to get him calmed down before he wound himself out of control. "Rhys," she said, lifting her head to look up at him and get his attention focused on her and not his current train of thought. "I know better than to actually say anything. It's far to dangerous." She sighed, turning her head and resting it against him as she'd had it. "I just wish things could be different is all," she added softly, figuring there was no harm in wishing.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

She looked up at him and spoke, easing his fear. He fought to calm himself down. It wouldn't do any good to get worked up, he knew, but he couldn't seem to help it. But now, knowing Sarah would be careful, that she wouldn't endanger herself, he felt better, calmer. It didn't matter right now that they could be found out later. If it comes to that, I'll claim that I made her do it. They know somewhat of what we can do to their minds, so it shouldn't be too difficult to convince the townsfolk of that. Then they won't hurt her. They would think her innocent of that treachery. His hold on her eased, going from fearful to gentle, loving.

When she returned her head to its former position and whispered her wish, he could only agree with her. He sighed. "I, too, wish it could be otherwise, love. The world would be a better place if it were." Then his own words hit him. He had been speaking without thinking and only now realized what he had said. Love? Did I say love? That can't be what I said. Can it? I hope she doesn't catch that little slip.

[Graebelle]

Feeling his hold on her slacken from the frightened grip he'd had on her, she knew her words were taking effect. It was what she had hoped, that he would believe her when she said she wouldn't mention them to anyone though she would have wanted to. Having no one to confide in was fine for the time being, but she had a feeling she would wish to tell someone about him eventually. Talking to him about himself would just be odd, and she had a feeling he would disagree with everything she said about him. His opinion of himself was surely much harsher than anyone else's.

She smiled slightly when he responded that he wished the same as her, glad that she wasn't the only one who felt this way about how things currently were. Would there ever be a day when it didn't matter, when there wouldn't be such a large separation like this between the two groups of people? She realized as her stomach gave a soft flutter his choice of word when referring to herself, but it only caused her to smile again. It was sweet as far as she was concerned, and though it surprised her just about as much as finding out he liked her she made no comment on it and said nothing for a short moment. "If I must keep this a secret from people I know, do you as well?" she asked, finding herself suddenly rather curious about this now that she had thought about it.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

He laughed slightly at her question. "I've no one to tell, save Damon. I'll have to tell him eventually or he'll insist on sending me off again. But he won't harm you. Nor will he do anything to me. I'm the only family he has, just as he is the only family I have. And he knows that even so, I am quite capable of snapping him like a twig if he ever harms anyone I care for." He didn't tell her all of it, though. I can't let her know that I would be living on borrowed time if I did that. Murdering the Head of a House, any House, is a death sentence. It doesn't matter the reason. Not that I would want to survive without her. "All Damon would do is ask why I was seeing a human. Most darklings don't care what a half-blood does as long as it doesn't affect them. And even a noble would not be considered a traitor for seeing a human, though there would be those who questioned their taste in lovers."

Rhys bent down to kiss the top of Sarah's head. Then he turned his head to lay his cheek against her hair. "I know I promised you a walk, but I just want to hold you. For as long as you'll let me."

[Graebelle]

The whole thing, the hate between the two peoples that had appeared so strong, seemed a little onesided to her. The Darklings apparently didn't care so much about the humans and what they did, she guessed so long as they were there when they needed them. But humans, being the ones preyed upon, were much more defensive about mingling. It made her question what she was doing a bit, though she could hardly say she was doing anything to hurt or harm humans. She was happy here, and that was all she was doing, being happy. Sure, at home she had her aunt waiting, sweet and a little overprotective, but it wasn't the same as being around Rhys. And again she knew she would want to tell someone about him, though she would bite her tongue to keep them both safe.

Feeling the gentle kiss against the top of her head and then the pressure of his head resting against her own, Sarah smiled. His words brought another little bout of butterflies inside, and she let her arms tighten slightly about him. "Will forever be long enough?" she asked, letting a rather sadly teasing tone coat her words since she knew it wasn't possible. Despite the fact it couldn't be done, the thought was too lovely to just simply let roll by. "I had forgotten all about our walk," she answered honestly after a moment, thinking back. "But it's daylight. You don't mind staying indoors instead, do you?" she asked, still not wanting to move herself and figuring he would be perfectly happy with this change of plans.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

Forever. The word ghosted through his mind, gentle as a spring zephyr trailing life in its wake. The thought of spending eternity in her arms warmed him even as it made the room seem suddenly airless. Now he knew what all those friends, long dead though they were, had meant by feeling breathless around a woman. I don't just like her. Its more than that. Deeper. "Forever sounds perfect," he said only half joking. In truth he was serious. He just wasn't ready to admit it.

When Sarah said she had forgotten about the walk, that she wanted to stay in because of the sun, his stomach seemed to be doing flips. It felt weird and wonderful all at once. So much so that he almost said what he'd been thinking a moment before. He turned his head enough to place another kiss on the top of her head. "Your wish is my command, M'lady." His voice serious, if somewhat breathless. He wished the air would come back.

He held her for a while, a soft smile on his face. All of his senses seemed sharper so that he fancied he could hear her heart beat. He knew he was 'running hot' as the old saying went. Very old, that. I haven't heard it since before the old world died. I wonder why I thought of it now? Ah well, its true enough. Everything was clearer, sharper. He still couldn't seem to find enough air to breathe. His voice was completely breathless when he spoke again. "Don't let this be a dream. If it is, please don't ever let me wake up." The words were as much a prayer as a plea.

[Graebelle]

She smiled gently over his reply. It was just the sort of thing she was sure would have made her aunt smile, the polite and completely respectful way in which he chose his words. It was that same dignified, gentlemanly air that had attracted her aunt to her uncle when they had first met, Sarah had found out after coming to stay here. She had found out many things about them in this manner; how they had met, their time together, and then her aunt's loss. It was a sad story, but happy just the same. She vaguely wondered if such a happy story were possible here, in her situation, but was afraid to think further on it considering the dangers added to her special case.

The sound of his rather breathless prayer caused her insides to flutter yet again, and she could only guess how many more times it might happen. His words were so sweet, almost perfectly reflecting how she was feeling. It was like something she had read in a book, though none of her books ever mentioned darklings or half-bloods as heroes or matches for a human. But still it felt like something out of a fairy tale. The little cabin in the woods. The stolen hours together. The way she felt when she was with him. "If my fairy tale had a happy ending, I wouldn't mind it being with you," Sarah said softly, tilting her head up slightly to peer at him with a gentle smile. He was perfect as far as she was concerned, and she considered herself lucky to be where she was now, wrapped in his arms so nicely.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

He remembered fairy tales. Sweet stories of true love triumphing over all else. Happily ever after sure sounded good to him, even though he knew there would be trouble. The prince had to have something to rescue the princess from after all. "There are no happy endings, love. Because nothing ever ends," he teased. "The people may change, but the tale goes on forever."

He gazed down into her eyes with a look of wonder on his face. In his arms he held an angel made flesh. Someone who didn't care that he wasn't human. His breath caught in his throat as he admitted to himself what it was he truly felt. Its...love. I...I love her. We've only just met, but I know that I want to spend the rest of my life with her by my side. Forever

"As my heart is yours. Forever." One hand reached up to gently touch her cheek. "Forever," he whispered as he bent down to gently lay his lips on hers.

[Graebelle]

His reply brought another smile to her face, a soft, short laugh escaping her. Of course, he would prove her wrong yet again. He was doing that a lot: first about darklings being cruel beings, then about them being confined to the darkness, and now about something she figured she knew enough about to consider herself somewhat of an expert. Apparently there were still things about fairy tales she had yet to realize, and what he was saying was really a part of why she liked them. They were basically the same each time, but with different people, or perhaps a different situation, but in essence the same. Still, she hoped, if it were possible for her to have her own, that it would truly be like all the others before her and end as happily as she had seen the previous ones do.

The expression he wore when looking down at her was unfamiliar, but as his statements before had done, it caused the butterflies to take another turn around her stomach. How could he look at her this way, with something akin to amazement? Sarah didn't feel necessarily worthy of it, but at the same time she couldn't look away and instead met his gaze, wondering what it was he saw, thought, and felt when he looked at her. Was it similar to how she was feeling, or completely different? She couldn't even put what she felt into words exactly, having never felt like this before. Even so, it didn't make her shy away from the feeling, but seek it out further to find that name that went along with it.

Sarah blinked when Rhys spoke again, taking a quick moment to realize what he was saying. She held his heart? Wasn't that the same as-- She couldn't even finish the thought, the brush of his hand against her cheek stopping it before it was finished, though it did seem to make her heart speed up slightly. How was it he was able to do this to her? Her eyes blinked a few more times as his face came closer to hers until she felt the soft pressure of his lips against her own. Eyelids fluttering closed with a whispered sigh, she realized then what Rhys had been saying, in a round about way. He must have loved her, not just liked, and the thought only made her heart take another leap within her chest. She angled her head up slightly, making the gentle kiss they shared a little more firm, and in this manner hoping he would see she felt the same and returned his feelings.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

When Sarah smiled and laughed at his teasing words, he felt a hitch in his chest. That was what he wanted. Smiles and laughter from his angel. His reason for keeping the demons at bay. She was his life, his heart, half of his soul. If he lost her, he would have nothing left to hold him here.

When she closed her eyes and leaned into his kiss, his senses flared. His eyes drifted closed as the mild empathy, inherited from his mother's family, awakened and kicked into a higher gear than he had ever experienced before. He was riding a wave of sensation, not only his own but Sarah's as well. The love he felt for her was apparently matched by her own for him, though he couldn't be sure. He tried to bury the empathy as deeply as it had been before, but couldn't think clearly enough to do so. All he could do was react. The hand with which he had brushed her cheek slid around behind her head, while his other arm tightened its hold, pressing her to him. He deepened the kiss with a breathy groan as his body began to react to the closeness of her own. He was trying to control himself, to remain gentle. He wasn't having much luck, but he was trying.

[Graebelle]

This was truly more than she had ever expected to find when she decided to come here to live with her aunt. She had only meant to stay as long as her Aunt Rebecca needed her and then return home, never thinking she might actually find a reason to stay, someone she loved here within the town. And never would she have guessed that it would have been with a half-blood darkling, someone she probably never should have met in the first place. It was all some grand accident that shouldn't have happened but did, and Sarah couldn't imagine things having turned out any better for herself than this despite the complications of their two races. She couldn't even think at the moment of what her aunt would have thought, let alone her parents. Rhys was taking up a great deal of her attention, the other, smaller piece doing its best to keep her heart from starting to hammer in her chest.

It was proving to be difficult. She didn't fight what was happening and instead followed Rhys' lead as he cradled her head and held her close, her own hold around him tightening as she leaned into his embrace. He was an amazing person in her eyes: kind, gentle, patient. She considered herself incredibly lucky to have found someone like him, who apparently loved her greatly and who she openly loved in return. The fact it had come about so quickly was rather startling, but Sarah was much too preoccupied for that sort of thought. The soft groan he let out only drew her closer to him, knowing somehow in the back of her mind that it was what he wanted even if it wasn't said so aloud. She matched his kiss, her arms holding her close to him, and let something like instinct guide her since she couldn't trust her now befuddled thoughts to keep up with the tasks of holding and kissing Rhys and breathing on their own.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

He finally gave up on fighting his empathy, allowing everything to wash over him. He felt a wave of love with a very feminine feel to it, telling him that Sarah loved him just as much as he did her. He was drowning in a sea of emotion and physical sensation. And he never wanted it to end. He wasn't even sure if he could stop it, and didn't bother to try.

When she leaned into his embrace, kissing him with as much fervor as he was kissing her with, he felt himself growing truly aroused. He began to kiss her with more passion, his lower hand moving to her lower back, fingers splaying out to press her to him more firmly. The action only served to bring him to a state of full arousal. The increase in his need frightened him a little. He didn't want to hurt her or do anything she might regret later. He began to fight for control, trying to stop himself. He managed to break off the kiss, though he raised his head only enough to speak, giving Sarah the option of continuing the kiss if she wished. He stood there with his eyes closed, panting for air that seemed to him to be almost non-existent. "Sarah, I...I don't....We shouldn't..."

[Graebelle]

She felt him pull her closer against him, her body nearly molding itself against his between their combined embraces. Her heart hammered forcefully in her chest at the contact, but it didn't stop her much. She was in too far. Sarah hadn't expected to feel so strongly for another being like this, to want them completely, mind and body. All she knew was that Rhys loved her as she loved him, and they both seemed to need the closeness of the moment they were sharing. Why deny themselves this moment when it felt so necessary?

When he pulled away, putting a temporary end to their kiss, her first reaction was to close the gap, which really wasn't much to speak of. Listening to his panting, she gently brushed her lips against his, as if trying to get him to initiate the kiss again. Instead he spoke, and her befuddled mind tried to make sense of his broken sentence while her lips hovered next to his, momentarily thrown off by him speaking. We shouldn't? It took a moment for her to process what he was saying, what they were getting themselves into by keeping this up. The reality of it, so close to happening, dulled her own desire slightly with surprise, at least enough to slow her down and think about his words. Sarah sighed, her own panting quiet as she remained still. Lifting a hand from around him, she placed it gently against Rhys' cheek, saying nothing while she worked on calming herself down and trying to get her mind to function more properly than it currently was.

[1<3[)r@I<3]

When her lips brushed his, his tenuous hold on his control stretched to the breaking point. He needed to stop. He needed to let her go, but he couldn't. When she reached up, placing her hand on his cheek, he sighed. It helped. He could think a little now. Not very clearly, but he could think. "That walk sounds...like a good idea...about now," he panted. There still didn't seem to be any air in the room. Maybe there would be more air outside. He wondered if she was as beautiful in sunlight as she was under the moon.

But when he went to turn his head, his lips brushed hers once more and his control snapped. He tensed, trying to get it back. Fighting to get a grip on himself, and failing. He didn't want to do this, but at the same time it was what he wanted more than anything. His voice was shaking with the effort of holding himself back and thick with need as he spoke. "Sarah, please...." Even he didn't know for sure whether he was asking her to back away or go farther as he kissed her passionately, hand sliding lower and pressing her body against his as firmly as he could without hurting her. He wanted her to stop him. Needed her to stop him. Needed her to let him keep going.

[Graebelle]

She laughed, a short, whispered laugh, when he spoke about the walk they had been meaning to take. It probably was a good idea, and would have put a successful end to things here, if not just hold things off for a while so they could get themselves under control. Her own control wasn't too strong, she realized, seeing as she had hardly realized that things were moving pretty fast between them. What would have happened if Rhys hadn't stopped? Sarah wasn't so sure now that she would have had the will to stop, or if it even would have crossed her mind. But she was grateful he had. She didn't need to think about it to know she would have felt disappointed with herself for lacking patience and giving in to desire. It wasn't like Rhys would have forced her into anything either, so the guilt would have been hers to carry, though something told her Rhys would have felt the same.

Now that he had successfully got her thinking about their actions, Sarah was starting to feel ready to stop. She would have then and there too if he hadn't turned his head in such a way to cause their lips to brush again. It only reminded her of the kiss they had just shared and how much she had enjoyed it. Would another be bad for her self control? Feeling Rhys tense, she listened to his strained words, unable to decide exactly what he meant, but one idea became obvious as he pulled her more forcefully against him, resuming their passionate kiss. For a second, her control disappeared as well, the hand against his cheek sliding around his neck to wrap around and pull her close. It would have been so easy to give in, to simply enjoy the moment and think about the consecquences later, afterwards. But Rhys had tried to stop, meaning a part of him, probably not very prominent now, thought they shouldn't, or at least not yet. Thinking the guilt would be bad for the both of them, Sarah managed to shift her head to the side slightly and remove her lips from his, leaving it up to Rhys whether the kiss would end there. "Wait," she breathed out, though she could hardly hear it herself over the hammering in her chest. Sarah tried again, hoping her voice would be heard, as would the soft plea within. "Rhys, wait."