[ it's a victory, being able to kneel at her feet, her stockinged foot resting on his knee as he fiddles with the metal clasp to loosen the ankle strap. there are times when he gets the strangest sense of déjà vu for a life he knows he's never lived, when he looks up from his familiar place on his knees between ash's feet and thinks he's looking at a king, the d.c. sunset haloing him like a crown, the light limning his nobility and inherent goodness. he gets that now, like he's a knight staring up at a queen, made to serve the unspoken desires that burn her very soul.
he flinches when her hand settles at his shoulder, the pressure of her fingertips pressing down against the wolf's claw marks sending heat rocketing through him and nearly taking him off balance — only nearly, though. the shoe drops but he stays upright, his hand clenched around her ankle with an unforgiving grip as he draws in a sharp breath, his face hot. heat might better suit, indeed. ]
You burn my flesh.
[ he catches her wrist and keeps her hand in place before she can draw her touch away, his accusatory tone light, one corner of his mouth quirking. the pain that sweeps through him is all too familiar, an injury he can't help but prod at because he likes to suffer, an itch he intentionally does not scratch because it feels sweeter to let it build and build and build. ]
The wolf got me there, too. I thought about telling you, but it's more fun to let you discover these things on your own.
[ his grip finally loosens around her ankle, her pale skin red and patterned with the latticework of her lace stockings. the smile he gives her is a return to his well-mannered charm, but with a creak of an open door; he's comfortable here on the floor, maybe too comfortable to be on time for breakfast.
he picks up the shoe, slipping her foot inside and working the leather strap around her ankle with tender care, his head bent in concentration, leaning with familiar ease against her thigh. when he breathes in he's transported again — she smells like lilies, like rosemary, fusing with the juniper on his breath as he exhales against her green dress. ]
Do you like the shoe? [ finished with one, he slides his hand upwards to rest at her calf in tandem with his lifted gaze, his eyes meeting hers. he cups the inside of her knee, gently but liberally lifting her leg so she can admire the shimmering gold in the room's light. ] Should I do the other?
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he flinches when her hand settles at his shoulder, the pressure of her fingertips pressing down against the wolf's claw marks sending heat rocketing through him and nearly taking him off balance — only nearly, though. the shoe drops but he stays upright, his hand clenched around her ankle with an unforgiving grip as he draws in a sharp breath, his face hot. heat might better suit, indeed. ]
You burn my flesh.
[ he catches her wrist and keeps her hand in place before she can draw her touch away, his accusatory tone light, one corner of his mouth quirking. the pain that sweeps through him is all too familiar, an injury he can't help but prod at because he likes to suffer, an itch he intentionally does not scratch because it feels sweeter to let it build and build and build. ]
The wolf got me there, too. I thought about telling you, but it's more fun to let you discover these things on your own.
[ his grip finally loosens around her ankle, her pale skin red and patterned with the latticework of her lace stockings. the smile he gives her is a return to his well-mannered charm, but with a creak of an open door; he's comfortable here on the floor, maybe too comfortable to be on time for breakfast.
he picks up the shoe, slipping her foot inside and working the leather strap around her ankle with tender care, his head bent in concentration, leaning with familiar ease against her thigh. when he breathes in he's transported again — she smells like lilies, like rosemary, fusing with the juniper on his breath as he exhales against her green dress. ]
Do you like the shoe? [ finished with one, he slides his hand upwards to rest at her calf in tandem with his lifted gaze, his eyes meeting hers. he cups the inside of her knee, gently but liberally lifting her leg so she can admire the shimmering gold in the room's light. ] Should I do the other?