Penny stood before one of the many packed shelves in the study. There was something different about it that she had not sensed before. A particular nagging worked its way beneath her skin and she could only assume with the utmost enthusiasm that the sensation was one proving she was more in-tune with the magical energies of the volumes and artifacts that were housed there.
Fingertips ran along the exposed pages as she searched for the ones that might help her that day. Her task was fairly small, or so Kura had led her to believe: a rune of protection. The mage of more superior skill had always said that the foundations of runic magic were simple but there was still so much for her to absorb on the subject.
At least she was not charged with putting a spell over their entire home. A small patch of grass anywhere outside would suffice, she was sure, but retrieving the information was what she feared would take the longest.
Kura had never been particularly organized. Her books and scrolls were all equally likely to contain her personal notes on nearly any subject. If there was blank parchment she certainly would have it filled in short order. In recent years the elder mage had allowed the younger to organize things as she saw fit, but it still wasn't perfect when she hardly knew what to expect of most of them.
Among the seemingly endless rows upon the shelves were all manner of little artifacts and trinkets tucked into almost every spare space. All of it was not enough to contain the vast collection, though, and even more volumes were left stacked upon the floor and desk. Despite the organized chaos Penny was quite fond of the cramped study. It was the one place in the house that magic could truly be felt in its raw glory.
A great effort of shuffling papers finally yielded a few she thought looked promising. As she set them atop the desk to look over, though, she realized that there was something different tucked between a few of the pages near the bottom of the stack.
Thumbing through it revealed a small but rather perfectly formed feather. The coloring was a brilliant orange framed in a subtle gold. Carefully taking it into her hand Penny turned it over this way and that before running a curious finger along its length to smooth it against her palm.
It was far too small to be a proper quill, she determined, but why a normal feather might have been hidden there was a mystery to her. Setting it down gently she separated the stack she was working with to quickly skim the page it had been resting upon to see if there were any notes about it there.
A shiver went up Mal's spine, a feeling his father used to dub as a "goose walking over his grave". He frowned, shaking his head and trying to put the feeling from his mind.
Then it came again, more insistent, and he sat up straighter, looking around the taproom of the small inn where he was staying, a frown etched across his face. What the hell? The shiver seemed to have taken up permanent residence at the base of his spine, tickling and persistent. It almost felt like a- pull.
Grumbling in aggravation, he stood and tossed some coins onto the bar, giving the barkeep a distracted nod as he made for the door. He needed some fresh air, that was it.
Reading through there was no mention of the feather that she could see. Sitting down, puzzled, Penny picked it up once more to hold gingerly in her hand. Kura didn't keep things in the study if they weren't magical in some way so there just had to be more to it than a simple, stray feather.
Perhaps it was just something else disguised as a feather. Yes, that seemed plausible enough. Murmuring a few clumsy incantations to attempt to undo whatever magical bonds she suspected the peculiar object to be under Penny was inadvertently binding the unknown phoenix feather to herself instead. When nothing seemed to happen with it and the feather remained a feather she thought she'd gotten it wrong.
Frowning in thought the young mage decided she would leave it be so that she could ask her teacher about it when she returned from her outing. She had studying to do, after all, and with her mind made up she tucked the small feather into the pocket of her skirts for safekeeping. The last thing she needed was to lose it to the endless collection it had appeared from.
The tingling became a steady burn that spread from his spine through the rest of his body in a flash. Mal's eyes widened and he just had time to yelp, "What the hell?!" before the air around him suddenly shimmered as though in a heat haze and there was a flash of golden light.
The world twisted and warped around him and he cursed colorfully, staggering as his feet tried to find purchase on- the floor? But he'd been outside just a second ago.
Mal looked up, blinking as he tried to orient himself. His eyes widened when he realized his surroundings weren't the inn, as confusing as that would have been, but completely unfamiliar. A library of some sort? There were certainly a lot of books.
He still felt tingly and a buzzing sensation had engulfed every inch of his skin, though it was dying down some now. Wide eyed, he turned in a slow circle until he saw the girl. And that clinched it- he was totally lost.
"What. Just. Happened?"
As soon as she'd drawn her hand away to go back to her work a sudden flash of light had her startling and nearly toppling out of her chair. She stared, tense and wide-eyed as the light faded and a strange man stood where there had certainly been no one before.
Her heart raced as she rushed to stand to be even a little prepared to defend herself. She'd seen the flash, but who was he? Where had he come from? Why was he there? Somehow he seemed just as confused as she was.
"What do you mean 'what just happened?' Who are you? And what are you doing in here?" she demanded, looking about the desk before choosing her weapon and lifting one of the heftier books over her shoulder in warning, ready to bash him with it or throw it at him if he tried anything. For all she knew it was all a ruse and he was making some awful attempt at sneaking in to snatch their valuables.
"Who am I?" Mal repeated incredulously. "Who are you? And what the hell do you mean, what am I doing here? You're the one who brought me here, aren't you?"
He certainly hadn't been the one to create that- that- teleportation or whatever it was. Even if he'd wanted to, that particular trick was not in his arsenal.
He looked around again, eyeing the young woman warily. Was she planning on hitting him with that book? "Where am I? What's going on?" he demanded, starting to panic a bit.
"Brought you...here?" She lowered the book with a distance expression, a sudden thought of excitement seizing her as she put it back down altogether. "You mean you were in the feather?!" Penny practically squealed with excitement. She'd done it! She'd managed it after all!
Scurrying around the desk she shoved her hand into her pocket again to retrieve the tiny, lone feather and hold it up as a trophy. "I got you out of this, didn't I? How long have you been trapped inside?" She volleyed off her questions quickly, unable to stop the avalanche of rambling that would follow.
"I found this feather and it didn't seem like a normal one, exactly. Look, see the shimmering? It almost glows! So I thought that it might not actually be just a feather! It was a prison!" she declared proudly, already assuming she had the whole thing figured out as she stood there practically panting for breath. "And I- My magic got you out, didn't it?"
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa." Mal raised his hands and took a step back, eyes very round. "Slow down there. In the feather? You think I was-" His eyes flicked to the feather she held out.
And suddenly it clicked. Well, mostly.
Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands. "That's not a prison, genius. It's just a feather. A feather from a...very special kind of bird, but a feather." He held out his hand, twitching his fingers in a "give it here" gesture. "You didn't free me, you summoned me. And you still haven't answered my question- where the hell am I?"
She didn't understand, shouldn't he have been happy and thanking her and jumping for joy? Her face fell as he corrected her, her hopes of actually managing such a feat on her own completely dashed and rejected.
"A bird," Penny lamented. Never in her life had she been so disappointed by a measly feather. "How did I summon you? Was that all my magic?" she asked, eyes full of innocent hope once more as she looked up to him as though the strange man who had materialized before her had all the answers in the world.
The question of where was still ignored in her excitement, but she did not miss the way he'd gestured for the feather. Wary now that it was somehow the key to her potential she turned slightly as she quickly pulled it back away from the precarious position of her own outstretched hand. Tucking it back into her pocket she gave the spot a quick pat for safekeeping.
She would not be giving away something that had clearly been valuable to Kura and, now, was also valuable to herself.
Mal glared, biting back a growl as she withdrew the feather. Great, just great.
"Look, honestly, I'm not entirely sure how summonings work," he admitted in a huff, folding his arms over his chest. "As far as I know, you have to actually burn the feather. But seeing as that's obviously not what happened, sure- maybe it was your magic."
He tapped a foot and gave her a very dry look. "Now undo it. Send me back."
Maybe. Maybe was good. Maybe meant possible. It was enough for her to cling to.
His request had her wincing and taking a step back to cast anxious looks to the books around them. If only she could just will one with that information to jump out so she wouldn't be left to stand there with nothing to offer him. "Ah... About that," she started, uncertain how the stranger might take any additional bad news or lack or real answers from her.
"I don't know how?" Penny finally blurted out. "But wait for Kura! She might know how to do that... I think. She'll be back soon. Maybe..."
"You don't know how," Mal repeated, deadpan. "Of course you don't know how." Groaning, he dropped his head into his hands and bit down on a torrent of cursing. Inept mage who'd ruined his day or not, she was still a lady, and he didn't feel right swearing in front of her.
"Then can you at least tell me where the hell I am?"
Well. At least not swearing too badly.
"And who's this Kura?" he demanded, folding his arms over his chest with a glower. "For that matter, who are you?"
Penelope's eyes widened considerably as she flinched just a little for each of his questions. He was entitled to the information, sure, but he certainly was putting a lot of effort into being grumpy about it.
"Kura is my teacher," she announced proudly, trying to ignore the way he was glaring at her and how uncomfortable it was. It wasn't her fault he was there! Well, it was, but it wasn't a conscious effort to pluck him from wherever he'd been before he'd materialized in their library.
"I'm Penny. Well, Penelope, but Penny is easier. And... this is-" How exactly did she explain where he was? Did he know the country? The province? Was he even from the same world?! She gave a short hiss at that last thought and quickly tried to dash it. There was no reason to worry about such a thing, he obviously knew enough to speak the same language.
"This is Serendipity," she tried again, speaking slowly this time in case he was not familiar with it. "Our home is in the Tirial province. In the west. Where were you...summoned from, exactly? And what can we call you?"
"Serendipity?" His eyes widened a bit and he let out a low whistle. If it had been the girl's magic that summoned him after all, that was pretty impressive. "Figures I'd be dragged home again," he muttered with a low, dry chuckle. "I was in La'marri," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck absently.
Now that he was starting to calm down, he was feeling a little guilty about his temper. Didn't need to let her know that though. "Name's Mal," he muttered gruffly. "Malcolm Denan, actually. But just call me Mal." A little belatedly, he offered his hand.
"Really?" Penny's eyes were wide with wonder once more at the realization of what she'd done, or at least what she assumed she had done. Glancing down at the pocket with the feather she wondered what kind of magical bird could produce such a powerful object if it had not been her power alone.
"That's so far away." She winced, understanding his sudden demands and anger a little better. She was certain she would be scared out of her mind if she was suddenly moved such a distance.
Staring at his outstretched hand she slowly reached to tentatively grasp it and give a stunted little shake, the movement familiar in sight but not so much in practice. Kura was almost always the one to do anything worthy of one.
"Mal." It was a nice name, she thought, smiling a little as she settled a little. The once angry man was no longer a threat. In fact, he was a guest even if he wasn't there voluntarily. "Sorry for the trouble, Mal. I'm not sure how it...chose you, exactly," Penny admitted. "Do you have a bird? As a pet, maybe?"
Did he have a bird? The question made him huff a laugh. "Er, no. Not quite." He chuckled. Eyeing the young woman, he frowned a bit. Not an irritated expression, more thoughtful.
"Do you...really not know what that is?" he asked, nodding toward the pocket where she's stored the feather.
Her eyes flickered, studying him curiously for his laugh. What was funny? Was he someone who laughed when they were nervous? Glancing between the place she'd hidden the feather and him a few times she shrugged. "You said it was just a feather," she reminded him. "So it's...a feather?"
Penny was unfortunately clueless about what he was. Her education had not been spent studying a creature as rare as a phoenix, though she knew they existed. There were all sorts of explanations for the unusual coloring of his hair but she thought he looked fairly ordinary and well, human, aside from that.
Mal nodded slowly. "Well, it is that," he agreed. Then he let out a sharp breath- well, she'd already summoned him, what could it hurt to explain a little more. "It's a phoenix feather," he told her. "Now, normally, if you want to summon a phoenix, you burn the feather."
He offered a slightly sheepish smile. "Seems like in this case you didn't have to go that far." Then he frowned again. "Though I'm not exactly sure how this worked- I certainly don't remember giving away one of my feathers." He shrugged.
"Ahh." She listened to his explanation, not all that confused as she accepted it easily enough as truth. She did quirk a brow at his mention of it being his feather, though.
"So... You're a phoenix?" Penny smiled, looking at him with a new sort of appreciation. "And it's a special feather, right?" Surely it must be if he'd been summoned without it being destroyed in the process. A sudden, strange idea came to mind though and she latched onto it.
"Would a stolen feather have different, um, properties, then? Than one you give freely?" she guessed. Realizing her lack of hospitality, though, she stepped around him with a few excited gestures toward the door. Studying could wait until another time, surely Kura would understand the circumstances.
"Come, let's go sit," she offered, opening the door to lead him out and to the small table where all their meals were shared.
"Ah- I don't really know," he admitted. He'd never really given it much thought before. Following her to the table, he glanced around the new room curiously.
"A stolen feather might be different," he murmured, more to himself than her. "I just can't figure out how..." He trailed off, frowning. Shaking his head to put the thought from his mind, he took another look around the room.
"Nice place," he commented casually. "So this Kura person seems to be pretty well off... You got the feather from him, then?" If that was the case, he may need to have some words with Kura.
"Thank you." It felt odd to accept compliments for something that wasn't truly hers. She was as much a guest as he was despite how long she'd been at the mage's residence. His assumption of Kura's gender had her stilling momentarily and then left her unable to hide a bit of a giggle at his expense.
"I suppose she is," Penny corrected gently. It was her fault she hadn't made it clear, though gender hardly mattered in such things. "And not exactly. I think it's hers, but... " She frowned slightly, thinking back on how exactly she'd come across it.
"The study. Library, really. It was there. I was doing research and just sort of found it. I'd never seen it before so I couldn't really tell you how long it's been here."
Mal blushed at bit at his incorrect assumption, mumbling, "Oh, right then."
Still, that probably meant that Kura at least knew where it had come from. "Where is she then?" he asked, glancing around as though she was in the room and he'd simply missed her. Looking back to the girl, he added, much calmer than before, "Could I see the feather? Please?"
Now that he was a little more relaxed and had at least some idea of what was going on, he was feeling a little guilty for how demanding he'd been earlier. Still, he thought he had some license to be a little grumpy, all things considered!
“Oh, out. She’ll be home soon, though.” Penelope wasn’t sure if her teacher would be very happy if the girl just blurted out her whereabouts to a complete stranger, guest or not, even if she was only doing silly errands. Her business didn’t matter anyway, only that she would return home soon.
His additional request for the feather had her looking down to her pocket with guilt. It was his if he was telling her the truth, but she also felt a need to protect it as a possession of her instructor. “If you promise not to steal it,” Penny finally agreed, reaching to retrieve it and extend it out to him in a careful hold between two fingers.
Snatching the feather from her, Mal quirked an eyebrow. "I believe the term in this case would be repossession not stealing," he pointed out dryly.
Frowning, he looked down at the cause of his trouble, running it between his fingers a few times. It felt...strange. "This isn't mine," he said slowly, turning it over in his hand, then bringing it closer to his face for further scrutiny.
Shrugging, he handed it back to her warily. "It may have belonged to a relative. One of my parents, probably. Seeing as they aren't around, it probably reached out to the creature most closely related to the blood of its original owner."
Of course, he was really just guessing. It sounded plausible, though.
Penny watched as he studied the feather, intrigued as it shimmered in the changing light. "Not yours?" She frowned in confusion. How could he be so sure?
"But how can you tell it's not yours?" she wondered, taking it back and holding it up to the light for a moment. Was that really how it worked? She would need to ask Kura. Drumming her fingers against the table idly in thought she replaced it once more in her pocket before looking up to him expectantly for answers.
He shrugged, a little uncomfortable under her stare. "I just...can," he replied. "It doesn't feel right- doesn't feel like one of mine."
Frowning a bit, he gave her a curious look. "What were you doing with it anyway? You can't have just summoned me by picking it up. You must've done something."
Having the questions suddenly turned towards her Penny flushed a bit as she remembered the incantations she'd assumed would work towards an entirely different purpose. Chewing her lip a bit she hummed in acknowledgment of his question as she cast a guilty look towards the door to the study.
"Well... I thought it might have been an illusion. Um, made to look like something it was not? So I tried to break that," she mumbled, feeling a little silly to be admitting how badly she'd messed up if that had turned into summoning a phoenix. Well, a man that was a phoenix.
"Huh." He quirked an eyebrow at her, then shrugged again. "I won't pretend to know how that wound up summoning me. Maybe this teacher of yours can shed some light on the subject."
His stomach suddenly growled and he let out a sharp breath. Giving her his most charming smile, he wheedled, "You know, seeing as you dragged me out of my inn- and away from breakfast- I don't suppose you could spare some food?"
"Maybe so," she answered distractedly, looking to the door with a slightly troubled look. If only she could bring Kura home faster. She was cursing more than ever the woman's knack for browsing a little too leisurely.
"Oh, certainly," she agreed, standing quickly and eager to keep herself busy while they waited instead of just gawking at the stranger. Looking over the contents of their kitchen, though, she winced and turned slightly to give him a rather guilty look over her shoulder. "We have eggs? Chicken eggs," she stressed. "Do you eat those? Would that be all right?"
Mal laughed. A quick laugh, but a real one. "Yes, I eat eggs," he told her, still chuckling. "I eat anything you eat, probably. Except beets." He pulled a face at the thought. "I don't eat beets."
He watched her as she sort of flitted about. Now that he was feeling calmer, more secure- this Kura must have a way to send him back, after all- he took a really good look at her.
Cute. If she would stop chattering at him, she thought she might even cross the border into pretty. A lazy sort of smile stretched across his face and he leaned back a bit, still watching her.
"Oh! Okay, no beets," she giggled. "Thank you." She could finally breathe easy, smiling to herself as she turned back to look at the small basket they all rested in. Now would he want just one egg? Or two? Penny picked up a few, weighing them distractedly in her hands before replacing one and then picking it back up again. Two. Only because he was so very tall and probably needed them.
She rummaged around for their pan and got to her cooking, entirely oblivious to the admirer that she'd gained in the process. Thankfully Kura kept a fire going for them constantly, so it was easy enough to settle the pan above it and dash about the kitchen getting this or that ingredient to add. Just because they were eggs didn't mean they couldn't be a little bit fancy.
"So, La'marri?" she asked conversationally over her shoulder, her eyes glued to her task. "What were you doing there if 'home' is Serendipity?"
Mal shrugged. "Travelling. Seeing the world a bit." It was much easier to do so now that he had a handle on his powers. Well, most of the time anyway.
"And I guess home isn't really accurate, not anymore," he mused aloud. "My old man still lives in the Riverlands, but home is where I make it nowadays." Grin turning a little wicked, he stood and came up behind her quietly, leaning over her shoulder to see what she was doing.
"Anything I can do to help?"
"Ah, must be nice," she sighed wistfully, smiling softly at the thought of travel and all the grand adventures one might get up to out in the other lands. In her own little world, though, Penny was thoroughly startled at the sound of his voice much, much nearer than she'd expected.
"N-no," she fumbled nervously, blushing brightly at being caught all dazed and distracted like that. "I think I have this handled pretty well. Smell yummy?" she teased, innocently thinking that his reason for coming over.
"It'll be done in just a minute. I guess if you want you can...grab a plate?" she suggested after a bit more thought. Maybe he was just the sort that hated being idle. She raised a hand to gesture at the cupboard.
Mal smirked at her blush, leaning in a little closer. "Smells delicious," he assured her. Thoroughly enjoying himself, he shifted slightly to the side and reached toward the cupboard, bringing his chest flush against her back.
Stepping away, he laid the plate on the table. "Sure you don't want anymore help?" he asked innocently, leaning back against the table and cocking his head at her, still smirking a bit.
The softest gasp escaped her as she felt the light pressure of contact against her back. Sure, the kitchen was a little cramped but it wasn't that bad, was it? The occasional elbow was knocked or hip bumped if both student and teacher managed to be working in it at the same time, but she supposed it was different with a man around even though it wasn't at all. She wasn't the most innocent maiden in the world, but she was willing to excuse such a thing as an accident if it only happened once.
"Uh... Yeah- Yes," she gulped, refusing to look at him to hide the now even brighter color lighting her pale cheeks aflame. To her great shame she knew that such a feeling tended to stretch to her neck and even her chest in the most embarrassing moments of her young life. That was definitely not something she wished to subject an innocent acquaintance to.
"You can take a seat if you want, I'll bring it over," she prompted, lifting the pan slightly as she carefully checked the underside of the eggs.
Chuckling quietly at her flustered response, Mal slid onto a chair easily. "I gotta say, if it weren't for the whole yanking me here unexpectedly thing, this'd be the best day I've head in a while," he said with a grin, propping his elbow on the table and resting his chin on his hand. "Not often I get a pretty girl to cook for me."
"Well that means I'm not the first, and I surely won't be the last," Penny teased, finally turning to scrape his breakfast from pan to plate and leave him with a knife and fork along with it. The compliment left her smiling, though, cheesy as it was.
She turned away briefly to set the pan aside to cool before returning to sit across from him at the table. "How is it? I can get you something else if it's not to your...tastes."
Mal shook his head, taking a bite and giving an appreciative hum. "No, it's good," he said with a quick grin. "Besides, I couldn't ask you to do that, you've been very accommodating." His grin turned into a smirk. "You know. Other than summoning me without permission."
Sobering a bit, he leaned back in his chair and gave her a look. "About that, by the way...look, I'm not sure where your Kura got that feather, but do you think she'd be willing to return it?" He frowned slightly. "I'm not sure how I feel about someone I don't know having this sorta power."
"Yes, that," she groaned, mock-wincing. She quite liked this man's playfulness with her. It was refreshing after such a long time of living only with another woman and so far away from town at that.
"It depends," she nodded, her tone growing more serious as the subject matter changed. Had her teacher ever really given away her trinkets? Perhaps for a price but she doubted he would want to pay for something that seemed rightfully his. "She's nice, I'm sure she'd understand but... Can't make any promises for her," she frowned apologetically.
"Maybe you could offer her a trade for it if she doesn't want to let it go," she suggested, giggling in thought. "Feather for feather, perhaps? Better than us having the ability to summon you for all eternity, right?"
He wrinkled his nose at the thought, but he supposed she had a point. "Maybe," he huffed. Then, because he felt like being dramatic, he gave a mock groan and slumped theatrically in his chair. "But that means I have to change and it's such a hassle," he complained.
Sitting up straight again, he quirked an eyebrow at her and added, "You ever had a feather plucked? Not a pleasant feeling." He shuddered dramatically, pulling a comically appalled face.
Giggling at his theatrics Penny tried to hide her smile as she leaned in, one arm on the table as she made a face of mock disgust. "No, but that sounds absolutely dreadful," she agreed. "Maybe I can talk her into something else instead. What else could a phoenix offer?"
"Oh, I can do lots of things!" Mal exclaimed, puffing his chest up a bit. "Mostly fire things. But we have some other neat tricks. Our tears have healing properties, for example-"
His playing faded a bit and he sat up suddenly straighter. "Hey, there's an idea," he muttered. A vial of phoenix tears had to be pretty valuable, right? Enough to get him that feather back, surely.
"Fire things?" She would definitely have to ask about that when he wasn't so excitable.
"What, the tears?" she prompted, uncertain what exactly he was thinking about. "Are we to twist your arm until you cry us buckets?" she teased.
Mal snorted, taking a few more bites of his eggs. "Well, you could try, but I'd singe your eyebrows off," he quipped lightly. With a shrug, he sobered some and said, "Actually, phoenix tears are incredibly valuable. I was just thinking a mage could probably make good use of them, maybe worth trading that feather."
"Ohhhh." Penny pouted slightly in thought. It was interesting, but she'd never heard of such a thing.
"I wouldn't know," she admitted with a shrug. "We'll have to see if she wants it. And if she even wants to trade."
It was not very much longer until she heard approaching footsteps, though. Her eyes brightened with excitement as she leaped up from her seat, hurrying to the door to let the aging mage in. "Welcome home!" she practically chirped, her eagerness earning her a gentle pat on the shoulder as Kura shuffled inside and set her basket down. She'd been to the markets but she hadn't come back with all that much.
"Kura, this is Mal," she introduced, gesturing at him as the dark-haired woman regarded him curiously. "He's a phoenix," she whispered at her ear, the elder woman's eyes lighting with interest and recognition.
"Mal, this is Kura Salyan," she continued in a normal tone.
"Pleasure," Kura greeted him, slumping tiredly despite their guest. She assumed he had been invited in by her student and thought nothing odd about his being there. "Forgive me, I'm going up for a rest."
"What?"
"A rest, girl, didn't you hear me?" she chuckled, giving Penny an affectionate pat to the head.
"Oh, but... We had something to ask you," the younger woman insisted, her eyes openly revealing her disappointment after waiting for her return.
"Well ask me quickly," Kura sighed, glancing between them expectantly, having no idea what sort of business she could possibly have with a phoenix.
This Kura woman reminded him of his father, in a way- grouchy. Wonderful.
"Yeah, see I've got a bit of a problem here," Mal said, rubbing the back of his neck and giving the older Mage the most charming smile he could manage. "Penny here- lovely girl though she is- seems to have made a bit of a magical mix-up of some kind, and she wound up summoning me. With a feather she found in your study," he added, raising an eyebrow.
He shrugged and folded his arms over his chest, leaning back on his heels. "Long and short of it is, I need you to undo the summoning and form over the feather." He flashed a quick grin. "Please. Ma'am."
Kura listened but was entirely oblivious to what exactly was the cause of his problem at first. "Feather? What feather? Do you still have it?"
"Oh, yes." Penny quickly dug into her pocket to fetch it for her. "Here," she offered, staring at the pretty thing.
The older woman took it and turned it over a few times before holding it up to the light, seemingly unimpressed with it altogether. "What have you done to this?" she muttered, glancing to Penny before handing it back to her with a sigh. "Well it's your problem now I can't do anything with that," she chuckled incredulously.
Penny stared at her, confused and stunned. "My problem? Why?"
"...Weren't you supposed to be working on runes today?"
"Yes, ma'am," the girl replied sheepishly, glancing to Mal with guilt. "That's not- That isn't why, is it?"
"No, of course not."
"Then why?" she pleaded desperately, giving Mal a slightly panicked look. How could she tell them that she just couldn't do anything?!
"Well when you summoned him you also managed a binding spell. Until you...unbind it I can't touch your magic, silly girl." Kura shrugged and moved along further into the house as if that information was sufficient. "I still want to see you practice today," she warned her. "I'm sure your phoenix friend can just fly on home."
"Fly..." Penny looked to Mal worriedly, expecting anger for that news. "You can just...go on your own, can't you?"
Mal blinked at this new information, then growled in frustration.
"I could," he told Penny, frowning. "But that still leaves you two with a feather that can summon me whenever you damn well please, and I'm not loving that idea." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair.
"You somehow bound it to you, yeah?" he said, giving her a sidelong sort of look. "If you undo that, and hand the blasted thing over, I'd feel a lot better about going."
Just undo it? She didn't even know how it had happened in the first place! She'd certainly never meant to summon him, and now her sloppy mystery magic was getting in the way of a stranger's life.
"Well, I don't know how to do that," Penny admitted, wandering back to him with the most guilty look on her face. "I don't know how any of this happened."
She looked to Kura, the older mage going about her business as though it was entirely normal to have a sudden phoenix guest in the house. Standing on her toes and leaning in Penny whispered at his ear, "Why don't you take it with you anyway? I won't tell her. I don't think she'd mind, but I won't tell her."
She held it up to him with a fairly determined look as she rocked back onto her heels. There was no reason to keep an innocent man worrying about his future just because she'd flubbed up with some silly magic. Nobody deserved to be a slave to a little feather.
Mal blinked, a little taken aback by the offer, but he took the feather easily.
"Thanks," he said softly, giving Penny the first genuine smile he'd yet shown. Impulsively, he reached out and Ruffles her hair affectionately. "Keep practicing, little mage," he told her with a chuckle.
Addressing Kura's back, he said a little louder, "I'll be going now. Thanks for the, uh...hospitality." With another smile for Penny, he made for the door.
He'd just taken three steps outside when he suddenly turned around and found himself walking back in. For a moment he just stood there, eyebrows raising toward his hairline as he looked around the room. "I...did not mean to do that," he muttered, utterly bewildered.
Normally such a thing would have been irritating, but Penny stood there staring and dazed with freshly mussed hair as he made to leave. She raised a hand to wave, smiling slightly as she ran it through her hair as she watched him go.
Assuming her unusual morning was over she'd turned to start cleaning up after her earlier cooking and clear the table. Entirely missing his odd turning she looked up in surprise when she heard him again. "Mean to do what?" she asked, oblivious to what had happened. A bit of chuckling from Kura had her looking to the older woman with interest but she shrugged and gave Mal an inviting smile. "Did you...forget something?" she prompted.
Still frowning in confusion, Mal shook his head slowly. "No..." He took a step back. Okay, so far so good. "Right. Well, uh- bye then."
He turned to leave, walking easily out of the house. And then easily right back in before he'd gone more than a few yards. "What the hell?!" he exclaimed, once again standing in front of the table. It wasn't like the summoning, there wasn't quite that pulling sensation.
But it seems quite clear that he was not in control of where his feet were taking him.
"Fairwell," she bid him warmly, chuckling as she watched him leave. This time she saw it happen, though.
Penny stared at him in confusion, uncertain what the problem was exactly. To her eyes it only looked like he was pacing back and forth. "Is something...wrong?" she tried instead, uncertain why he seemed so upset suddenly. She'd given him the feather! Wasn't that what he'd wanted?
Kura couldn't hide her snickering as she watched them out of the corner of her eye, thoroughly amused with the way Mal was kept on such a short leash to Penny with the feather in his possession.
"I told you," she reminded him gently. "Binding spell. The feather is not yours to take, young phoenix."
"Kura!" Penny groaned, embarrassed and a little flustered that she'd known and had called him out on it. "I gave him permission, you know."
"Oh, how kind of you!" she laughed, leaving her student fumbling for words.
Mal was getting irritated now. Snapping a glare to Kura, he barked, "You seem to know what the hell is happening? Care to enlighten the rest of us?"
He felt a little bad about his temper, but honestly it was covering a twinge of fear. Binding spell? That didn't bode well- what if he could never leave?
Kura shrugged, frowning slightly for his snappy temper. "The feather?" she said again, as if that alone should have been obvious.
"Is his," Penny prompted her.
"No, it's yours."
"But I gave it to him." She was getting desperate now.
"Well that's not how magic works, darling," the older woman clucked. Penny hung her head unable to look at him now in her shame.
"Well I knew that."
"So..." Mal said slowly, trying to fire out what she meant, "if I give the feather back, I can leave?"
He frowned. He didn't really like that idea- after all, even though Kura and Penny seemed like decent people, there was always the chance the feather could fall into less savory hands. And that was not a prospect he liked at all.
Kura cast him a sideways glance but only shrugged. "I don't know exactly what she did only that she did it. With Penny everything is a little unpredictable," she explained, glancing to the girl with sympathy. "I couldn't say for sure."
Well this was a right disaster. Penny held her hand out for the feather sheepishly, unable to look him in the eye. "Let me see it, maybe I can...do some digging and find a solution for you. Undo all this. I thought I couldn't, but... I can try?"
With a heavy sigh he handed it over. "Yeah...yeah alright." Mal ran his hands through his hair, frowning. "Gods this is a pain," he muttered unthinkingly.
Then he winced a little guiltily and cast a glance at Penny. "I mean- look, I know you didn't do it on purpose, it's just...rather inconvenient for me," he tried to cover quickly, not wanting to hurt her feelings.
She bit her lip, flinching slightly at the words she heard. He had the right to be angry with her, at least she thought so for being the victim of an unskilled mage who had no idea what she was doing. That didn't make it hurt any less to know she was causing him inconvenience.
"Sorry," she sighed, curling her hand a bit as she turned to look towards the door to the study. She could stay in there all day searching for a solution and never find it. A look of realization came over her, though, for something he'd said before. Burn it.
Her bright eyes lit up with her idea and instead of heading down to bury herself in papers she turned towards the kitchen to kneel before the flame. A nervous hand held the feather as she slowly inched it forward, fully expecting it to catch fire as soon as it touched and ready to jump away when it did. What she hadn't expected was for the blasted thing remain intact.
The feather took on a dull glow, shining and colors flashing as it was firmly held among the flames. They almost seemed to bend around it, though, much to Penny's dismay.
The young mage sighed her disappointment as she sat back on her legs and brought the feather to her face to scrutinize it. "Weren't you supposed to burn?" she whispered, poking at it and running her fingers along still-warm barbs in her confusion.
"Is there...a special kind of fire required to burn a phoenix feather?" she asked him in a slightly louder voice.
Watching her, Mal quirked an eyebrow. "You do realize another name for a phoenix is a firebird, right?" he muttered, unable to keep himself from being a little snarky.
With a quick sigh, he shrugged. "I assume there's a specific spell you need to use to burn it," he mumbled rather dejectedly. "But I don't know what it is."
"Oh." Penny felt bad and thought he might prefer it if he'd corrected her so sharply. Phoenix had just been the only word she'd been familiar with about his kind.
She stood slowly, still studying the feather with interest. "I suppose I'd need to research that, too. So much studying. Not that I mind, this is my fault." The reminder spoken aloud felt so much worse, though.
"Feel free to...make yourself at home, as it were," she told him, gesturing to the space around them as she moved to head back to the study. "I'll see what I can find out about...firebird stuff."
Shaking his head, Mal realized she'd misunderstood his attitude and felt a little bad. "You can call me whatever you like, Penny," he told her, resigned. "I was just pointing out that since we're creatures of fire, it's gonna take more than a little hearth blaze to burn that feather."
He looked around, shifting from foot to foot awkwardly. Make himself at home? "Er...what should I- where should...?" He trailed off, not even really sure what he was trying to ask.
She paused, watching his awkward little dance for a moment and smiling kindly for it. "Sit anywhere you like, wherever you're comfortable," she explained further, pointing to cushions upon the floor and few chairs in the main room. "Or you're welcome to come with me if you'd prefer," she added, uncertain if he would even be comfortable off on his own in a stranger's house.
Penny left him with his choice, though, and turned once more to enter the study. It wasn't difficult to imagine that information being found in a place like that, though she dreaded the thought of digging through all of Kura's awfully organized notes to find it.
Setting the feather down upon the desk she shoved her papers from earlier aside to make room for where she would set what books she might find in her search.
After hovering a moment, Mal decided to follow her, looking around the study curiously. He hadn't really bothered to take a good look before, too distracted by this ridiculous situation. Although, he supposed the situation hadn't really gotten much better, now he was just resigned to it.
"Can I...do something to help?" he offered a little awkwardly, coming up behind her and watching as she set about her work.
"Only if you really want to," she answered distractedly, not wanting to burden him with helping her. She was the one trying to help, as she saw it, and he the innocent bystander.
Penny paused, looking him up and down and flushing nervously for the question on her mind. She didn't want to offend him more than she assumed she already had. "Can you read? It would help a lot, but...if you can't that's all right."
Mal frowned, opening his mouth to give a scathing retort- then swallowed it down. She was just trying to be helpful. She knew nothing about him, really, why should she assume he could read.
"I can," he assured her. In an effort to prevent a future miscommunication, he sighed and said quickly, "I was raised by a human, Penny. I spent a good part of my life thinking I was human, albeit with some rather intense fire magic."
"Oh! Well, that's... That's nice," she nodded, a relieved smile spreading to her lips as she pointed to the stacks upon the floor. "If you see anything that looks promising on the magic-breaking front -or feather-burning- set it aside for me, would you? I'll look up here."
Penny set to her own task, poking through the volumes that packed the shelves above and carefully pulling down the few that seemed promising to hold against her hip. Nothing seemed right, though. Nothing stood out and she worried for how much of Mal's time she'd be wasting in searching for the spells she sought.
Nodding, Mal set to work. He just sort of plopped himself cross-legged on the floor and reached for the first of the stacks of books, flipping through quickly. This was rather like the work Adrian would have him do sometimes, so he knew how to keep his eyes peeled for specific words or phrases.
Unfortunately, he wasn't finding a lot. He put a few books to the side to look through in more depth later, but it was a very small fraction of the possibilities. Bored. I am sooooo bored. "So how'd you end up here with Kura anyway?" he asked, flipping through what felt like the nine hundredth book.
"Oh, she offered to take me in and teach me," Penny told him fondly of the memory, despite how little she'd absorbed under her care.
"I wanted to learn magic and she was bored without a student. I keep up the house for her in exchange but some things are beyond my control." She frowned at the endless books before her as she moved on to the next row. Nothing seemed right yet. "I teach myself a lot, though, she's not really one for lessons anymore.
"What can you do, exactly? What counts as 'intense fire magic?'" she asked after a pause, glancing down curiously at him in his place upon the floor.
He nodded along as she spoke, listening while he worked. It was a skill he'd developed helping his foster father with his work. "How long have you been here, then?" he asked. Then he chuckled a bit.
"Oh, me? Well, imagine any spell involving fire, and I can probably do it. Problem is, until recently I had a hard time controlling it. And fire and a lack of control..." He screwed his face up. "Not a good combination."
"I can imagine," she giggled, wondering how many uncontrolled fires he'd started if he'd thought to say such a think. She was a little envious, though, for he'd also said he had a better handle on it.
"If only I had such a gift," she sighed wistfully, though her words were spoken with no jealousy. "I've lived here for three -well, almost four- years now and I haven't done anything great or powerful yet. My day will come, though." She was very sure of that, the thought the only real driving force to her continued studies.
Mal looked up, face grave. "Be careful what you wish for, Penny," he said, not angrily but with some definite firmness. "That kind of gift- that kind of power- it's not easy to deal with. It's a lot of responsibility, knowing if you lose control you could really hurt someone, maybe someone you care about-"
His face heated and he cleared his throat, looking away. That was definitely crossing the border into too personal.
Penny looked down at him and frowned a little at his warning. "I take it you know from experience?" she assumed, slumping a little. Now she'd brought him there and brought to mind ugly memories. What a morning.
"Maybe I shouldn't wish for it, but... It seems like life would just be so much simpler if I had something. Anything. Even a smallish thing. Something to call my own." She nodded. Yes, that was it. She just wanted to feel ownership of something within herself, she wasn't out to hurt anyone. The young mage was too inexperienced to realize that those things could not always be separated.
He winced. He hadn't meant to make her feel bad. For some reason watching her shoulders slump made him feel incredibly guilty.
"Well...just keep at it, I guess. Just be careful, is all I'm saying," he mumbled, feeling very inarticulate. Shaking his head, he turned back to his task of sorting through books, wishing he didn't feel quite so awkward now.
"Thank you, Mal. I'm sure you only mean well by that." That was probably a little too presumptuous of her, but it felt like his words of caution were genuine.
Reaching the end of her row, Penny breathed a frustrated sigh and glowered at the small stack of books in her arms. None of them had seemed quite right, but she would look through everything they had if it was necessary.
"I'll give these a look," she finally announced as she turned to set them at the desk. Her voice took on a pitifully hopeful quality as she looked down to see that he did have some things set aside. "Have you found anything?"
Mal shrugged. "Maybe?" he offered, gathering the half dozen or so books that had looked remotely promising and clambering to his feet. He moved to the other side of the desk, sliding the books onto the surface and pulling one off the top.
"If we both read it'll go twice as fast," he said with a quick smile in her direction.
She reached out towards the books he'd set down, ready to scoop them up and add them to her own pile when she stopped and realized what he was offering. While she normally would have been relieved for the help Penny couldn't help but feel bad in asking, or rather accepting, further help.
"I can't ask you to do that much. You don't have to," she reminded him despite it being his own idea. She sat and almost pouted as she instead plucked the book off the top of her own pile. Cautious in opening it, she peeked inside and was relieved to see that the beginning was free of her instructor's messy notes. Flipping through, though, it seemed the subject was different methods for magically joining objects. Penny closed it and quickly grabbed the next, she couldn't be deterred by the first not yielding what she was looking for.
Mal couldn't help smiling at her a bit. She was a sweet thing, it wasn't her fault they'd gotten into this mess- well, it sort of was, but she hadn't done it on purpose. "I don't mind, really," he assured her as he opened his own book.
Flipping through, he found nothing that seemed as though it would apply, nor in the next one. "Anything?" he asked Penny distractedly as he moved on to the third book.
"Not really." She sighed, glancing up at him with guilt. "Unless you'd rather be turned into a goat?" she tried, smiling a little as she tried to picture what a phoenix-goat might look like.
Penny set aside yet another book and moved on to the next. Her stack was depleted before she knew it, though, and she rose with a dejected sigh. "Must be here somewhere," she muttered, returning to the shelves to try and find something more promising.
Mal sighed, rubbing his eyes. Finishing his own stack of books, he moved around and put a hand on Penny's shoulder. "Look, we've been at this a while," he sighed tiredly. "If we keep plugging away like this, we're probably gonna slip up and miss something. C'mon, take a break."
He tugged lightly, accidentally- well, mostly accidentally- pulling her back against his chest. He wasn't in a hurry to move away though, giving her a quick grin and letting his hand drift from her shoulder to her upper arm.
He was right, but that didn't help her feel any better about the whole situation. She stepped back for the pressure at her shoulder and winced as she felt them connecting yet again. "Didn't think you were right there," she apologized, though she noticed the way his hand remained at her arm and her cheeks warmed slightly for the extended contact.
Clearing her throat and looking away Penny moved to step around him and towards the door. "Just not for too long," she decided. Remembering what had happened to him earlier, though, she turned again with a guilty look and snatched the feather off the tabletop to tuck away into her pocket for safekeeping.
"I'd like some fresh air, if you don't mind," she said, turning again to head out.
His chuckle was only slightly bitter when he shrugged and followed her. "I go where you go, sweetheart," he muttered, following after her. Not wanting to make her feel guilty though, he flushed and cleared his throat. "Fresh air sounds good."
Leading him out she glowered at Kura's back the whole way, a little upset still that her instructor seemed content to let her solve this problem by herself. It was her fault, but that didn't mean she had to do everything, did it? Kura was wise and knowledgeable beyond her years and yet it was the apprentice finding the solution.
Of course, Penny didn't realize that Kura was simply trying to teach her a lesson in it all as much as it was at the expense of Mal's time. She trusted she would be capable, though how long that might take was yet to be determined.
The warmth of the afternoon sun was enough to calm her from her disgruntled thoughts, though. She stepped a bit further than she'd seen him go before, curious if he really was connected to the feather and could go with her. "How about a walk since the weather's still nice? We could go to town or- Well, just around the house if that's too far for you," she suggested, not realizing that she was neglecting to tell him just how far that was exactly.
Mal, tilting his head back to enjoy the feeling of the sun on his face, snapped his attention back to her. "Oh. Uh, yeah sure. A walk sounds nice."
A moved a few steps closer quite without giving his legs permission to do so. Forcing back a scowl at that, he walked the next few steps on his own until he was right beside her. "Wherever you want to go, Penny," he said with a small smile.
It's not like he really had a choice but to follow her anyway- although...he supposed there were worse fates. He kept that thought to himself.
"Just there and back, then. It's not too far," she promised, turning to him a bit with a grateful smile for what seemed to be his cooperation. Penny set out at a slow, tentative pace at first, though. She constantly glanced to him to be certain nothing was going wrong. After all, she had no idea what else her clumsy magic might have done and she was not out to make him miserable.
"So.." Mal popped his lips, searching for something to say. It wasn't in his nature to just walk in silence. "You've been with Kura for four years, you said?" He glanced at her sidelong. "Your family just lets you live with her? Uh, you do live with her?" That was the impression he'd gotten at any rate.
"Yes, thankfully," she giggled, amused at the thought for she knew how inconvenient of a commute that would have been.
"My family lives in the next town over, maybe half a day's walk?" she mused, looking out to the horizon thoughtfully in the direction she knew it to be. "I'd spend my days on the road if I didn't live with her. I visit them often enough, though, so they don't mind really."
Penny leaned in slightly to add, "Between you and me I prefer living away. They...drive me a little insane sometimes."
He cracked a smile. "Hey, I get it. Why do you think I was all the way in La'marri? Had to get away from the old man for a bit, feeling stifled."
If he was being honest with himself, that was half a lie. While he did love traveling, the sense of freedom it provided, he did miss Adrian occasionally. More often the longer he was away. Maybe he should stop in and visit, if he was going to be stuck in the area anyway...
Realizing he'd been drifting, he shook his head and focused back on Penny. "You got siblings then?" he asked curiously. "Or just you and your folks?"
"One sister," she told him fondly, smiling a bit to herself. "But I'm the baby of the family. I think my parents had grander plans for me than this, but-" Penny shrugged, not really knowing what else she should say about it to someone who would be gone from her life in such short order.
"I'm happy as I am. Do you, um, have any siblings? And...you said just a father, correct?" The young mage frowned slightly, curious but unwilling to ask herself if there had ever been a mother for a phoenix raised to be a human.
"The baby, huh?" He chuckled. Somehow he wasn't surprised.
"Oh me? Yeah, it's just me and Da. Well..." Mal hesitated for a moment, then figured, what the hell? She already knew he was a phoenix, there didn't seem to be a point in hiding anything else about his family.
"He's not my father. Biologically, I mean," he explained as they walked. "He found me when I was-" maybe an egg might be a little much for her right now- "young. Took me in, raised me, so I've always thought of him as my Da, but he's not my real parent."
He shrugged, eyes going sort of unfocused as he looked away. "I don't actually know much about my parents. Or any other family I might have. I've got a cousin, but she's the only other one of my kind I've ever met..." He trailed off, clearing his throat and feeling his neck and face hear a bit.
She was curious for more, but it was a fascinating enough story to hold her attention. "Well good that he found you, huh? You firebirds must truly be an awfully rare lot."
Penny glanced down at her skirt and chewed her lip in thought. "Perhaps once I can get you out of this mess you can use the feather? Maybe it would help. If you wanted to find more, that is."
Mal gave her a curious look. He hadn't thought of that. "Yeah, maybe..." Shaking the thought away, he shot her a lopsided grin. "That means you have to actually get us out of this mess though, yeah?"
"Yes." Why was that even a question?
"Oh. Oh, I see. You don't think I can, do you?" she accused playfully, much as it was a blow to her ego. It wasn't all that surprising considering she was clueless about how everything had happened in the first place. A more capable mage probably would have been able to correct such mistakes and quickly, yet she was just as uncomfortable with it all as she had been in the morning.
"I never said that," Mal protested, laying a hand to his heart and giving her a wide eyed look. "...I may have thought it, but I never said it," he teased, bumping her shoulder lightly.
He couldn't really help it. Humor was easier to deal with than thinking about what would happen if she couldn't fix this.
"Ah, but you let it slip." Penny smiled genuinely and giggled. At least he could laugh about it and wasn't being a cold person over what she'd done. She couldn't imagine being ripped out of her own life and suddenly strapped to a stranger. Although, in a way, the same was happening to her.
They were nearing the town, though, so she slowed and gestured to cross the road and turn as she intended to do. "Let's not go in. They won't let you go if they see us together," she warned playfully, shaking her head for she knew how unabashedly curious their neighbors could be.
"Oh?" He arched an eyebrow. "Why's that? Afraid someone will run and tell you're beau you're walking about town with a handsome stranger?" He gave her a broad, cocky grin, eyes glinting teasingly.
"What?! No, I don't have a-" She was already quite flustered, having glanced up to see that confident grin. She understood that he was playing with her still, but it was a situation she'd been in so rarely that she hardly knew how to approach it.
"I'm sorry if I...led you to believe that," she tried again, carefully refusing to boost him with compliments but unable to lie about such a thing even if it was only a joke.
"Perhaps another time. When it all isn't so new," Penny suggested, though she instantly regretted it. Another time meant a longer stay. Another time meant admitting she wasn't going to resolve their problem in a single day.
Mal laughed softly at her fumbling. It was kind of adorable. "Another time then," he said. Seeing her face fall, he added gently, "When I come back to visit after you've got this whole thing sorted."
At least he was kind enough to give her that. "Yes, exactly," she agreed eagerly. "Though I've no idea why you would want to visit your...captor." She smiled at that. It was a lot easier to think of herself as some monster than an incapable idiot.
He laughed again, much louder this time, and stopped walking. Easily grabbing her arm and spinning her around to pull her against his chest, he smirked down at her and let his arms come around her in a gentle cage.
"I'm sorry," he said innocently. "Who's the captor here, exactly?"
A squeal of surprise was barely stifled, but she put out her hands instinctively to push back against his chest and lean away as far as she could without squirming. "Uh..." Well she hadn't expected that from him. And he'd seemed so docile until that point. Well, relatively.
"Still me," she challenged, glancing down between them before lifting her chin to look him square in the eye. "That feather has quite the spell on you."
A low, playful chuckle rumbled in his chest, and his heart gave a persistent thump when she met his eyes so defiantly. Adorable.
Quite unable to help himself, he leaned forward to murmur in her ear, "Not just the feather, love."
Then he released her and stepped away, whistling casually. "We heading back to Kura's then?"
Penny stumbled back in stunned silence. A genuine blush spread across her cheeks that she really could not hide. Letting her head fall forward a bit and turning to face the right away again she was grateful for the endless green that could let her hide and recover.
"Yes, she probably thinks I'm out here getting you into all sorts of trouble," she sighed, shaking her head and smiling slightly. "Probably shouldn't have gone so far out, but what's done is done." She chewed at her lip in thought, frowning instead as she reflected on just how much time they'd probably wasted.
"You might have to stay over dinner, too."
"Hey, I won't argue with a free meal," Mal joked, grinning over his shoulder at her. He offered his arm with a little mock bow. "Shall we, milady?" With a self-deprecating smile, he added, "I'm not quite sure where we're going."
"Poor you," she lamented playfully, giggling and joining their arms with a knowing smile.
"Don't worry, you're in good hands with me. I'll lead you back safe and sound," she added, patting his arm lightly as she stepped out to head back down from where they'd come from. "It really is so confusing around here. Roads every which way, not a landmark in sight. It's a miracle sometimes that I can figure out where to go," she teased.
Mal wrinkled his nose at her. "Yeah, yeah, alright little miss," he grumbled, rolling his eyes. He wasn't complaining though. He liked having her arm through his, pulling her gently against his side.
"So if you've been Kura's apprentice for four years," he said conversationally, "that means you started when you were...?"
"Oh! Nineteen. I'm twenty-three now. I realize that probably makes me a bit old to still be so..." Unskilled? No, she shouldn't bash herself. "New," she decided instead. "Still a lot to learn, as you've been made aware."
It felt nice to be walking with him. Natural, even. She liked it.
Peering up at him curiously she tried to pin his own age. Granted, she had no idea how a phoenix might age any differently from a human. For all she knew this father of his was long-lived. He seemed relatively young to her, though. She couldn't see how he couldn't be if he was so playful and carefree with her. He wasn't graying at all that she could see, after all.
"What was your magic like at my age?" she asked, boldly assuming she could put his age above her own.
"When I was your age?" he repeated, laughing a bit. "You sound like your talking to a grandfather. Just how old do you think I am?"
Well, he supposed he couldn't really fault her for assume he was older than he was. Most people probably would, upon meeting a phoenix. "That grand total of three years ago," he teased lightly, "I still didn't quite have a handle on my powers."
His expression sobered a bit and he looked away. "It was...interesting. Not always good interesting."
Only that? She felt a little relief to know he wasn't some ancient creature. Though she wasn't entirely certain that would have even bothered her anyway.
"So it was very recent, then?" she wondered, genuinely curious. "When did it, um, manifest exactly? If you don't mind my asking."
"What? My magic?" He shrugged. "I've always had it. I just...didn't know where it came from until recently. I thought I was a pyromancer."
He glanced down at her. "What about you, then? When'd you realize you wanted to study magic?"
Even if it had caused him quite a bit of trouble she couldn't help but feel a little jealous of him. "I was just a girl, but I found it so interesting," she shrugged, looking out to the house she could finally see in the distance.
"Maybe fourteen or so. I wish my father had let me go study then. I might have been a bit more capable by now."
"Hey." He gave her arm a quick squeeze, smiling crookedly. "Quit beating yourself up about that. There's plenty of people who couldn't even get done the summoning bit, much less a binding spell this complicated," he laughed.
"Even if it wasn't intentional, it's some impressive magic," he said softly, eyes crinkling a bit at the corners as he smiled.
The compliment earned him a warm, genuine smile but Penny knew she couldn't just let him just dismiss it as amazing. "Not nearly as much if I don't know how I did it," she pointed out.
"Being able to replicate it or fix it would be better. For now I'm still the clueless mage who stumbled into a mess of a ritual." She laughed gently, happy at least that he seemed to want to encourage her no matter how awful she was at it.
"You make me want to learn, though," she admitted. "How could I let you down now?"
Mal shrugged. "Well, you've got the first step down," he said lightly.
Then he chuckled. "Yeah, I mean how could you disappoint this face?" He gave her his best "kicked puppy" look.
"Oh, I just can't! You look absolutely miserable," she teased, laughing even as she tried not to look at his pitiful display. Leaning in close for a moment she gave his arm a light squeeze before slipping away from him entirely.
"We can't be giving Kura any ideas now. She'll think I summoned you on purpose and I'd never hear the end of it." Mischievous eyes lingered on him a few moments more before she darted away to rush out towards the door ahead of him.
He arched an eyebrow. Huh. So it seemed like Pretty Penny knew how this game was played after all, at least a little. Chuckling, he moved to catch up with her, snaking an arm around her waist and pulling her back against him, completely ignoring any sense of propriety.
"We wouldn't want her to think that now, would we?" he murmured, bending his head to put his mouth close to her ear. Then he stepped back, letting her go easily.
He normally wasn't quite so bold, but damn if this girl didn't bring it out in him. And she was hardly a wilting flower- he had the distinct feeling that if she wanted him to back off she'd have no problem telling him so.
There was a bit of a thrill in him catching her that she didn't want to admit to. If he was going to be there, though, surely there was no harm in a bit of fun.
She turned slightly to give him a wordless smile once he released her, lingering at the door for a moment before reaching to open it and step back inside. "We're back," she called out, her head lifting to sniff appreciatively at the smells of a roast wafting from the kitchen.
"Didn't get rid of him, huh?"
It wasn't exactly a question, though, and Penny glanced to him apologetically. "No. Mal's going to stay for dinner while I get this sorted out."
"A guest for dinner? Fancy that. Let's hope it only takes you that long," the older mage laughed good-naturedly, highly amused at the excitement her student's folly had brought down upon them.
"I'm sorry about her," Penny chuckled and sighed, making her way back down to the study where she fully intended on burying herself in books until a solution was found.
The scent of food was positively mouth watering. Mal gave Kura a nod and a quick, polite smile when they entered, undeterred by her apparent amusement at his misfortune.
"It's alright," he chuckled quietly to Penny. "She reminds me of Da a bit, actually. I'm used to it." He trailed after her to the study, where he leaned against the door frame and just watched her for a moment.
"Want some more help?" he offered eventually.
Refreshed by their outing, Penny worked quickly to retrieve more books and papers to look through. Looking up at the sound of his voice, though, she smiled with a slightly guilty look again and shook her head.
"I couldn't ask it of you. If you truly want to you are definitely welcome to help, but I'm sure I'll manage." Well, eventually. She couldn't exactly be confident in when at that point.
She gestured across to the free chair. "If you'd rather you can just take a seat. Don't have to stand there."
Mal moved slowly to the chair and propped his elbows on the table, letting his chin rest on his hands. He was content to just watch her work for now- seemed like something she should be doing on her own for the moment. Maybe it would up her confidence a bit.
Not minding that she was being watched the young mage returned to her task. It was easy for her to just pay attention to the words on pages as she flipped through volume after volume. She'd done it enough already in trying to learn various spells from Kura, but there was hardly anything that sounded like what she'd managed with Mal.
Returning to the shelves, she had to stand on her toes to reach the top row. The second book she pulled seemed promising and she immediately lowered herself back to her heels to stand properly as she opened it right there. "This is about banishment," she murmured thoughtfully, taking a few steps back as she read on. "I wonder if that would be enough to send you back."
Mal frowned a bit, standing and crossing to peer over her shoulder. "Er...I'm not sure I like the sound of banishment," he mumbled. "What if you send me clear to another plane of existence or something?"
He was mostly being dramatic, but well...it was a small fear in the back of his mind.
"Oh." Her eyes went a bit wide at that, it hadn't even occurred to her that such a thing could happen.
"Well, maybe something else will work." Penny tried to remain cheerful as she reached to replace the book and glance over the rest. A few more were pulled before she turned to settle at the table once again. "There's not much else to look through," she promised. "I must be close."
"Yeah, sure. Take your time." He glanced around, trying to find something to do. "I'm not exactly going anywhere..."
Penny winced at the reminder, hating that he didn't really have a choice in the matter.
The more books she looked through, though, and the smaller the pile of possibilities became the more that renewed energy faded. She didn't want to tell him bad news, but perhaps she could soften the blow over dinner.
"Up for another break?" she asked, closing her current book with a sheepish smile and setting it aside. "Dinner will probably be ready soon."
Mal glanced up from scrutinizing the bookshelf- Kura had quite the collection- and gave her a quick grin. "Hey, I'm never gonna turn down free food."
Crossing to her, he offered his arm again. "A break will probably do you good. May I have the pleasure of escorting you to dinner?" His eyes glinted teasingly.
"The whole way down the hall?" she teased, accepting his arm with a roll of her eyes as she stepped toward the doorway. "That's much too far, but if you insist who am I to stop you?"
Chuckling, he moved off down the hall with her. "This is the thanks I get for trying to be a gentleman," he grumbled dramatically, putting a hand to his heart with a long-suffering expression.
"Is that what you were trying to do?" she asked with fake surprise. She was quick to drop the act in favor of a smile and gentle hip check instead. Her smile fell slightly and she turned to giggle against his arm once she caught sight of Kura looking out at them from the kitchen, though.
"You two look awfully comfortable," she accused, though she kept the rest of her thoughts to herself. Penny couldn't be getting that much done with him hanging around. Not that it was his fault. "Get settled for dinner, then."
"Yes, ma'am," she called obediently, though she was quick to turn to whisper at Mal's ear before taking a seat at the table. "Sorry about her."
"Thank you for your hospitality, madam," Mal responded to the older mage, completely genuine. He caught Penny's eye and gave her a quick smile as he seated himself, mouthing It's fine, really.
Kura was reminding him of Adrian more and more.
Kura served dinner happily enough not long after, setting relatively equal plates before each of them before taking her place with her own. "At least he has good manners," she teased her student, chuckling in delight for the young woman's squirming.
"Oh hush. I have manners, you just like him better," she shot right back, hungrily spearing a few vegetables and humming in pure pleasure as she ate.
Mal smiled as he watched them banter. It felt rather...homey. Heartwarming. "It's hard not to like me, love," he teased Penny, taking a bite of his own food.
His eyebrows went up a bit. "This is very good," he praised Kura.
"Thank you. It's nice to have someone around that appreciates my cooking." Her eyes twinkled with mirth as Penny struggled to swallow and gasp her disagreements.
"I appreciate you! I always do." The younger woman pouted, not realizing that she was only being teased.
"So where are you from, Mister Mal? Where did my Penny yank you from?" Kura asked, assuming both places would be the same.
He chuckled. "Actually, I'm from the Riverlands. Now that I've got my bearings a bit, I realized it's really not too far from here, maybe two or three days' walk." He took another bite and added, "Penny dragged me out of La'marri. I've been traveling these last few months."
"Ah, a worldly man," she crooned. "I hope she can send you back soon."
"I'm trying, don't worry about it," she sighed, feeling guilty all over again. At least Mal and Kura seemed to get along nicely. "I'll get it sorted after dinner." It wasn't exactly a promise she could guarantee, though.
Kura just accepted it as if such things happened every day in her house. "And your lesson?" Penny winced. It had been forgotten, of course, in the day's excitement.
"I'll finish that, too. I think I can do Mal the courtesy of putting his freedom above your silly lessons."
"Hey, it's not like I have anywhere I need to be," Mal said with an easy shrug and a smile in her direction. "Get your lesson done, then worry about me. I can look through those books while you're working on your lesson."
Penny just stared, startled that he was somehow encouraging her to stick to her silly lesson schedule instead of working on fixing his problem full-time. "I mean, if you want to. It's hardly worth the time to do it," she muttered.
"Hardly worth your time? I believe you are the student here," Kura huffed, causing Penny to flinch and wish she could take back what she'd said.
Instead, the young mage just continued picking at her dinner and thinking back to exactly what she'd left off on before she'd found the feather that now seemed to have them stuck together.
"I really don't mind," Mal assured her. Then, with a quick look at Kura, he added, "Besides, lessons are important. Even more so in magic than just about anything else. Who knows, maybe it'll help this situation...somehow."
He offered a quick smile before returning his attention to his dinner.
"I tell her all the time she'll be better if she's well-rounded, but she thinks I don't know what I'm doing." Kura watched Penny out of the corner of her eye and slid her plate away once the younger mage had taken to just pushing her scraps around. "Go finish practicing so you don't inconvenience your poor phoenix here."
She lifted her head sharply ready to protest, but after a moment of pause she decided against it. Letting her get even more rises out of her would only encourage the teasing.
"Yes, yes," she sighed, standing slowly and giving the older woman a playful flick upon her shoulder before she hurried off back to the study to resume her rune work.
Mal watched her go, taking his time with his meal. He shot Kura a quick, apologetic smile. "I really am sorry for any inconvenience, ma'am. It's very nice of you to accommodate me."
His eyes flicked to the study and he had an odd urge to go and check on Penny. Which was just ridiculous.
"Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry she dragged you into this mess. It's the least we can do." She watched him curiously for a few moments just to study him.
"How about I set up a room for you?" she offered, tilting her head to gesture down the hall with her chin. "We're not going to chase you out in the middle of the night, of course. You're welcome to stay and be rested for the morning."
He perked up a bit at the offer of a bed. "That would be very kind of you," he said with a grateful smile. "Anything I can do to help with that?" He nodded toward the study. "Or should I be checking on Pretty Penny?"
Realizing he'd actually vocalized the mental nickname he'd given the girl, he felt his face heat and ducked his head, standing quickly and clearing his throat. Silently he prayed she wouldn't mention it as he set about clearing the table.
Kura allowed him to clear the table without a fuss from her, amused and watching him with raised brows to see if he might speak any other oddities about her apprentice.
"Apparently this old woman is out of touch," she teased in a mercifully low whisper. Then, in a normal tone, "I'll sort your room out. You're free to do as you like. Don't distract her too much, though. Unless you never want to leave, of course." She rose with a chuckle and wink, whisking the pile of dishes away to busy herself cleaning up.
Mal nodded, gratefully feeling his blush die down, and flashed a quick smile at her with a murmured, "Thanks."
Turning, he made his way back to the study. Not wanting to disturb Penny, he simply hovered at the door, watching her work.
The study had returned to a relatively normal state with her studies resumed. Papers were spread out all over the desk and Penny was intently reading the words over and over. Not realizing she was being watched she leaned forward upon her elbows in her concentration and occasionally muttered a note to herself. But actually trying any of it? Well, she hadn't quite worked up the nerve after everything that had happened.
Penny leaned her cheek in her palm as she hovered quill above parchment. It was just practice. She could do this, right? The real one could happen outside where there was no threat of the whole library going up in flames over a mistake. Even practice was a struggle, though.
She would draw one line then stop and start again. Sometimes she would make it to two lines, but she was stuck. She didn't want to do much more, but she knew Kura would expect it of her.
After watching her for a minute or two in silence, Mal shrugged away from the wall and crossed to stand behind her.
"Mind if I ask what the problem seems to be?" She was obviously struggling with something.
Penny glanced up at him briefly but only furrowed her brow and continued to draw and redraw with a shaky hand. "See this?" She pointed to the particularly troublesome example on the paper directly in front of her.
"I can't draw it. Okay, I don't want to. I don't want to get it wrong," she explained. "See this curve here? I can't do that."
Ah, runes. He'd always hated those. "You're thinking too much," he told her softly, moving up close behind her so he could peer over her shoulder. "You're getting tense and it's translating to the movements of your hand. Take a breath. Relax. Then give it another go."
Without thinking, he laid his hands gently on her shoulder, absently rubbing soothing circles with his thumbs. "It's just practice, Penny. Relax."
She shook her head stubbornly. That wasn't it. She didn't think she was tense, she was just uncertain. "I am breathing," she protested distractedly, not realizing how much she was holding herself back with it all as she scrutinized the example again.
Penny froze and lifted her head slightly for the sudden contact, but she didn't speak against it. It felt encouraging more than anything. The light pressure released some of the tension in her back she hadn't even known was there. "You should do that for a living," she teased gently, finally setting ink to paper to try again. "'Traveling Pep Talk Phoenix' sounds alright, doesn't it? Or do you do something else?"
Her hand still shook a little as she completed the troublesome line and began on the next.
He gave a low chuckle in the back of his throat, dipping his head closer to her ear. "I can do lots of things, love. "Pep talk" doesn't even begin to cover it."
He continued rubbing circles on her shoulders, watching her write the runes. "Better," he praised quietly with a small smile.
"Like what?" she laughed, the question entirely innocent as she chanced a look at him out of the corner of her eye. She hissed lightly as it messed up one of her lines but she kept going to get the practice. "What else can you do?"
Mal could think of a lot of ways he wanted to reply to that question, but she just looked so innocent. And it would probably be a bad idea to get too involved in her life here, what with the weird magical bond and all.
So he just tilted his head slightly and said, eyes sparkling, "Tell me something, Penny- you ever wished you could fly?"
"Fly?" She paused, setting her work down to turn slightly in her chair. "Well I'm sure you know all about flying, don't you? Would be nice, but..." She shrugged, gesturing at herself. "No wings."
A wide grin stretched across his face and he stepped back, offering her a hand. "C'mon," he urged. "Take a break. The runes aren't going anywhere, and we've still got maybe an hour until sunset. I wanna show you something."
Her bright eyes twinkled with interest but she only spared her drawings a brief look of remorse before she was taking his hand and standing up. She just had to know what he was up to if he was going to lure her in with something like that.
"If I didn't know better I'd say you like breaks more than work," she teased, shaking her head with a smile but willing to follow him easily enough.
He snorted. "You can always stay," he reminded her, but his grip on her hand was at odds with the words.
He towed her out of the house then looked around. "Hmmm..." He gave her a questioning look. "We're gonna need some space for this. Is there a relatively secluded clearing or something around here?"
Penny narrowed her eyes slightly. How much space did he need exactly? "There's some behind the house," she told him, gesturing at the roof. "But secluded we'd need to go out a ways. I think I know a good spot."
She gestured up at the hill to the west and moved to lead him up and over it. On the other side at the bottom was a respectable bit of relatively clear land with a small stream that ran through the lowest point. It was all so familiar to her, though, so she kept her attention on Mal and silently tried to guess what it was he wanted.
Following her, Mal gave an approving sort of nod at her chosen spot. "This'll do." he shot her a quick grin and advised, "You may want to stand back a bit."
Taking a breath, he closed his eyes and focused his attention inward, to the core of fire he'd so recently learned he possessed. Exhaling, his form shimmered as though in a heat haze, then expanded- almost gracefully- into the shape of a massive, fiery bird.
The phoenix opened glowing golden eyes and cocked his head at the girl, curious as to her reaction.
Stand back? "Okay." She was wary as she obeyed but moved herself away several feet. Her eyes watched him just as curiously as before and widened considerably in pure awe as he transformed in front of her.
The small feather in her pocket couldn't even compare to the shimmer and glow of him in the evening light. She was frankly stunned into silence, but a slow smile crept to her lips as she stepped closer to study him.
"That's really you, isn't it," she murmured happily, not really a question as she reached out towards him with a hand poised to pet along the top of his wing. Penny paused, looking up to meet his eye to ask permission. She wasn't entirely sure if such a thing was exactly safe but she was desperately curious about this side of him now. "Can I?"
Mal gave a low, throaty croak that served as a chuckle in this form and nodded. "My feathers are warm, but they won't burn you," he assured her. His voice was more crackling than when he was human- it had disturbed him a bit the first time he'd done this- but still his.
Hunkering down, he tilted his wing to give her better access. She wasn't scared at all. Fascinating.
"And you speak!" Penny was relieved for that, pleasantly surprised that such a creature could still converse with her. She supposed it made sense considering his more frequented form in her presence.
Finally settling her hand against his feathers and petting with the lightest touch she was unable to hide the open admiration and wonder from her expression. They were just as he'd described. Warm with an inner fire but not something that felt like it might flare out to burn her.
"Very soft and very pretty," she praised, giggling as she brought her hands away. As much as she wished she could keep petting she didn't want to annoy him with it. "Bigger bird than I imagined. Much bigger." She laughed and leaned forward a bit to study the coloring upon his chest and underbelly.
He chuckled again, preening a bit at her praise. "Well, are you just going to look?" he said playfully after a moment, cocking his head. "I asked if you'd ever wanted to fly, remember?"
He shuffled a bit to bring himself closer to the ground and extended one wing. "Climb on. Try not to rip out any feathers please, it hurts."
At his prompting she rushed to stand up straight again, eyes widening in pure delight as she looked him over. "Really?! I can?" Well surely he could carry her if he was offering, but it wasn't something she'd ever done before of course. Briefly she wondered if it might be like riding a horse without the ground beneath them.
Moving closer she pressed a cautious, testing touch to his back before vaulting herself onto his back and settling a leg to dangle on either side of him. Excitement for the thrill of the unknown pounded in her chest as she leaned forward to nestle her hands among the feathers upon his shoulders. She was careful not to squeeze or latch on too tightly, though, not wanting to hurt him or otherwise ruin the feathering she so admired.
"How does this work?" she asked sheepishly. She'd certainly seen her fair share of birds in flight but never one so large or carrying a passenger.
Clucking in the back of his throat, Mal spread his wings and ruffled his feathers. "Hold on," he told her, a smirk embedded in his tone, and with a massive beat of his wings they were airborne.
He'd never actually flown with a passenger before, but after a few minor corrections to his balance, he thought he had the hang of it. Still, he kept them fairly low, banking in wide, lazy circles to start, not wanting to overwhelm her.
Holding on was just about all she could manage besides stare out ahead of them in awe. Even with as low as they were it seemed so much faster to have the jolting steps of a horse removed from the equation. After a few circles around without being dumped off his back she was curious enough to lean forward over one wing just to watch the ground rushing by beneath them. It wasn’t a disappointing sight at all, simple as it was.
Penny was left giggling with delight as she righted herself. “This is amazing,” she laughed. Not knowing what else to do for him in thanks she gave a few praising pets to the feathers of his neck.
Mal crooned instinctively in the back of his throat at her attentions, feathers ruffling. "Isn't it?" he replied, pleased. "What do you think? Worth the break?"
Penny nodded eagerly, still petting distractedly as she looked all around them. It took her a few minutes to realize she hadn't actually answered him.
"Oh, um. Yes, I love it! Definitely worth the break. Do you fly a lot?"
"When I can," Mal answered, banking in to bring them back to land. The sun was sinking low now and he didn't want to get her in trouble with Kura. "This form is rather eye catching though, so I try not to do it too much."
She frowned at that. If she'd had wings she thought she might spend most of her days flying if that was what it was always like. Perhaps there was a spell for it.
Once he'd landed she took it as her cue to dismount and carefully slid from his back. Reaching out, she smoothed his feathers back into place as best as she could before looking out to the sunset. "What's wrong with being eye catching? It's very pretty... Do people not like it?"
"Not...exactly," he replied, letting a shiver run through him as his bird form melted away to once again reveal the human. Stretching his arms, he looked at her and shrugged with a crooked smile. "For one thing, a massive fiery bird tends to spook people. For another..."
He glanced away. "Not all mages are as kind as you and Kura, Penny. There are plenty of people who would see a phoenix as not much more than a collection of magical parts to be used or sold."
Spook? Well she could understand that if they were afraid of birds or just wary of large creatures, but she personally didn't see it as a reason to be afraid. His other had her feeling quite sad, though. Penny's happy expression fell considerably as she thought back to what he'd said about phoenix tears before. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what else might have been valuable.
"That's a shame," she sighed, looking up towards the hill that the house hid behind. "Does that mean you want to be a secret? I shouldn't tell anyone you were ever here?" The least she could do was not breach his trust.
Mal glanced at her, surprised, but his expression quickly shifted to gratitude. "Yes, actually. That would be good of you." Shrugging, he offered his arm and gestured back toward the house, indicating they should head back.
"Honestly, I don't mind if people know I'm here. Just maybe keep the whole firebird thing quiet, yeah?" he said with a quick grin and a wink.
Penny took up his arm again, not at all fazed that he'd been a large bird just moments before. She smiled warmly and nodded. It seemed fair, not that she even had very many people to tell about him.
"I can do that. You'll just be Mal." She frowned slightly as the house came into view, though. It had been such a nice day with him, sudden as it was, and yet with the setting of the sun it seemed decidedly over.
Not realizing the offer Kura had made to him she glanced up at him with a guilty look. "Thank you for being so patient with me. You didn't ask for all of this, but you've been very nice. I'll fix it. Even if it takes me all night," she promised.
He gave her a quick, slightly started look, then smiled, shaking his head. "No, love, don't worry about it. You get your rest, you won't be any good for magic if you're exhausted." Bumping her shoulder lightly, he said kindly, "Kura invited me to stay the night. Don't stress yourself out."
"She did?" Penny's eyes widened in disbelief. "She did not," she accused playfully, smiling and shaking her head.
"I have to anyway, rest won't help me figure it out. Might as well while it's still 'new' in my head," she argued stubbornly.
"Gods, you're stubborn," Mal muttered, shaking his head and giving her a wry smile. "Ask her yourself then if you don't believe me. And while you're at it, tell her what I said about you needing rest. I'll bet you she agrees with me."
"I will," she declared, though not as strongly as she would have liked to. Kura was certainly kind but she thought she could at least get her to agree to letting her remain at work until Mal was free from the clumsy magic she'd cast upon him.
"I'll believe you, though. About the staying. She's not heartless. Most of the time." Penny opened the door to step back inside but hesitated about going much further. "Thank you again, it really was a treat to see."
He gave her a small smile. "You're welcome, I'm glad you liked it." He chuckled a bit and added, "I have to admit, I was a little worried I might scare you off."
"Scare me? You'd have to try much harder than that," she laughed, shaking her head as she released him. Penny gave his arm a gentle pat before heading down the hall to go find Kura.
To her surprise the mage was not in any of their normal living quarters. One of the spare rooms down the hall had the door ajar and she nudged it open gently to see her teacher settling the bed with fresh blankets. "What's this for?" she asked accusingly, crossing her arms and giving the older woman an affectionate tsk.
"Our guest," Kura answered confidently, snickering at the way Penny fidgeted. "It's polite to give the nice gentleman a room. Must be exhausting talking to you all day."
"You just think I can't undo this...thing."
"No, I do. Maybe just not in a day. Powerful magic takes practice and patience to master."
"I don't need to practice it, I just need to undo it," Penny complained, not seeing that they were one and the same. "And Mal thinks I need rest to do anything useful."
"Well thankfully someone is looking out for your health and sanity, dear," the older mage teased, laughing at the way Penny blushed and grumbled over their alliance behind her back.
Not really knowing what else to do with himself, Mal trailed after Penny, hanging back a few steps awkwardly. He couldn't help chuckling a bit when he overheard their conversation though, eyes glinting merrily.
"Told you so," he said cheekily, not caring how immature he sounded.
Penny just shook her head and looked between them in defeat. "You did and now I've caught you both conspiring against me," she sighed, casting a glance towards the study before stepping out of the room. "I should at least finish the rune, I think. Give me something to feel accomplished about today."
"Conspiring?" He put a hand to his chest. "You wound me, fair lady!" He threw both her and Kura a wink, grinning crookedly.
His expression turned a little more contrite and he added, "Ah- do you mind if I turn in? Been a long day." He shot a mock glare at Penny. "And you really need to sleep, miss."
"You go right ahead," Kura encouraged him, giving him a pat on the shoulder as she exited the room and got out of his way. To Penny she cast a warning look, but she knew she would not stop her student if it was what she truly wanted. "Don't stay up too late."
"I won't, you'll still see me in the morning," she promised her, casting a brief smile to Mal and nodding her head in farewell before she headed down to clean up a bit of her mess of scattered papers. Once that was settled she resumed her drawings, but she was too tired to truly finish it and ended up passed out slumped over the desk before long.
Mal tried to sleep, and for an hour or so he managed it, albeit fitfully. He always had trouble adjusting to a new place though, and he was keyed up from their little flight earlier. When he woke for the third time, he sighed and sat up, rubbing his eyes.
Maybe he'd take a walk. That might calm him down. Collecting his boots from where he'd left them by the door, he made his way down the hall as quietly as he could, not wanting to disturb Penny and Kura. He glanced into the study reflexively as he passed- and hesitated.
"Silly girl," he murmured, slipping into the room and giving Penny an exasperated look. Gently, her reached out and touched her shoulder. "Penny? Come on, love, let's get you to bed."
Penny frowned and grumbled at first, curling in on herself as if to reject him disturbing her sleep. "Go 'way," she mumbled, turning her head towards him and peeking out with one eye to glare at her assumed teacher. Seeing Mal there instead gave her pause and she shot up with a start just blinking in her confusion for a few moments.
"Sorry," she finally muttered, rubbing at her eyes and looking around. She wasn't certain how long she'd been out but it was definitely quite dark. "Thought you went to sleep," she accused tiredly, carefully rising from her chair and dragging herself to the door. The rest of her work could certainly wait until the next day now.
"I did," Mal said with a quiet chuckle. "Got restless, decided I'd go for a walk to clear my head- and what do I find but the very girl who said she'd take two very wise people's advice and get some rest instead working herself into exhaustion."
Her frowned at her, and it was only half teasing. "C'mon, to bed with you," he said, laying a hand on the small of her back as he herded her out of the study.
"Wise," she snorted, finding the word much more amusing in her groggy state. She went without fuss, though, and shuffled herself down the hall.
"Thank you. Night, Mal," she murmured quietly, wary of waking Kura as she fumbled to get the door open.
"Good night, Penny," he said with a small laugh, letting his hand stroke briefly against her side as he moved away from her toward his own room.
He suddenly found it was much easier for him to sleep, and he was out moments after his head hit the pillow.
Penny was awoken all too early the next morning. Kura had been unwilling to let the girl sleep in when she had so much to do, but she quickly realized she didn't mind it so much when she remembered Mal was the reason she even had the need. She was bathed and dressed and back to holing herself up in the study same as the previous day before the sun had even fully risen to greet the morning.
Sunbeams falling across his face woke him and Mal groaned, rolling over and hiding his face against the pillow. It took him a moment to remember where he was, and why he was there. With another groan, he sat up and swung his legs out of bed, rubbing at his eyes.
He staggered to his feet and down the hall, yawning. Eyes half closed, he stumbled in the direction he thought the kitchen was, pawing blindly at the wall to guide himself. "Hungry," he grumbled, hoping one of the two women might hear and take pity on him.
He was not a morning person.
Kura looked up from the comfort of her chair in the main room to watch Mal clumsily make his way towards her. "Hungry? Well make yourself at home," Kura insisted in a cheery voice, glancing towards the kitchen as if that was all he would need before she returned to the book in her hands.
Penny was vaguely aware of him but too absorbed in her reading to notice what he was after, especially when she'd neglected breakfast for herself.
Managing to stumble his way into the kitchen and get something to eat- just what he wasn't entirely sure, possible some kind of bread- Mal started to wake up properly. He finished his breakfast (yes, definitely bread. Gods he was tired) and made his way back out into the main room.
"Sorry," he said sheepishly to Kura. "I'm useless in the morning." His eyes flicked to Penny in the study and he lowered his voice slightly, asking, "Has she eaten yet?"
"That's quite all right," the older woman chuckled, glancing up to him briefly before setting her book down again when she noticed he was lingering. She looked over to the study where the girl was still hunched over her own reading.
"Oh, probably not. She's been there for about an hour." Kura frowned and then shrugged indifferently and gestured to the free seating near her to welcome him to her presence if he wished to stay. "Seems she's pretty concerned about you."
Mal's brow furrowed. "Yeah, she does..." He gave her a quick, grateful smile when she offered a chair but didn't sit. "I'm gonna grab something for her. Silly chit seems not to take care of herself unless someone forces her to."
He slipped back into the kitchen, grabbed the other half of the loaf he'd been snacking on. Not much, but better than nothing. Moving to the doorway of the study, he knocked on the frame. "Oi, Penny."
Penny startled slightly at the sound of knocking and lifted her head sharply to see him standing there where there had been nobody before. Thinking he'd just wanted to say his hellos she smiled some and nodded in simple greeting, "Morning." Annoyingly, her heart fluttered even as she calmed from her fright and looked down at her work again.
Rolling his eyes, Mal crossed the room to her side, tapping her shoulder and holding the bread in front of her nose. "Eat something, love," he said sternly. "You seem to have trouble with this whole concept of taking care of yourself. You're not gonna do anybody any good if you collapse form exhaustion or hunger."
She looked between him and the bread a few times as he spoke before leaning back in her chair slightly. She hadn't even realized that she'd neglected to eat, her stomach definitely hadn't bothered her first thing in the morning. Now, though, with the slight sweetness of the bread so close she felt a stubborn growl and rumble in her belly.
Instead of rejecting it she took the bread in one hand and took a careful bite to show she wasn't going to fight with logic. "I didn't think about breakfast," she admitted sheepishly, blushing a bit as she remembered that her first thoughts had been about him and the silly spell -or was it curse now?- that she'd placed upon them.
"Thank you. Do you want some?" she asked, oblivious to the fact that he'd already helped himself to the rest of the loaf as she raised her hand in offering.
He smiled, finding her offer utterly charming. She really was a sweet girl, working so hard to help someone she barely knew. "That's alright, lass, I ate already." He reached out and stroked a hand down her hair, unable to help himself.
"So, what's got you so engrossed you forgot to eat?" he asked, leaning over her to look at the book. "Find anything useful yet?"
Penny nodded, accepting it easily enough. Kura must have fed him, she assumed with guilt.
Her eyes lit up a little for his question and she set her finger to the page the book before her was open to. "This was right under my nose," she admitted, chuckling nervously. "It's about the kind of spell I was trying on the feather. Undoing a...disguise or shroud, I suppose. I was hoping it might have something here that I missed with that." She took another bite of bread and chewed slowly. It sounded so silly. She'd not just missed something she'd missed a bunch of somethings to manage to summon a whole person instead of doing what she'd intended.
"That sounds promising," Mal said encouragingly, a bit of hope creeping into his tone. He moved around the table to sit across from her, pulling a few of the books she wasn't absorbed in towards himself.
"I wish I could be more helpful, but being a phoenix is actually kinda new to me. I didn't even know it was possible to summon one of my kind without actually burning the feather," he said with a slightly bitter chuckle.
"Well, first time for everything, right?" She smiled but winced with guilt, shaking her head. It was silly. It all was just very silly. How had she even managed it?
"I'm glad we could meet, though," she spoke up after a bit more reading. She glanced up briefly but kept her eyes on the written words before her even as a smile crept to her lips again. "You're very nice. And a little too handsome for your own good."
"A little?" he demanded in mock outrage. "I am far too handsome for my own good, thank you very much."
He wasn't exactly unused to compliments, but for some reason hearing it from her made his heart jump a bit, and he couldn't seem to keep a smile off his face. "Am I distracting you, Pretty Penny?" he murmured, leaning across the table a bit and reaching a hand up to brush a lock of hair behind her ear.
At least he was willing to have fun with it, another thing that she liked. She tried returning to her book but she had trouble focusing on the words as her heart was still racing a bit from her moment of boldness. His voice caught her attention and she lifted her eyes to him again, her cheeks darkening and eyes widened slightly for the sudden use of a pet name she'd never heard him speak before. Would he leave if she was honest? Well, he certainly wouldn't go far but she still didn't really want that to happen.
"Yes," she finally admitted, glancing to his hand but making no move to stop him. "But... I like you distracting me."
His eyes flared gold. "Good," he whispered, leaning in closer. "Because I think I like distracting you."
This was really not a good idea, as the logical part of his brain kept informing him. She'd free him from this binding soon enough and he'd be on his way. Or even if it wasn't "soon enough", he could foresee all sorts of issues if she started to take this too seriously.
Still...where was the harm in a little fun? He couldn't get more than a few yards from her anyway, why not take advantage.
His hand trailed down, fingertips brushing her neck in a feather light touch before he drew back, settling back onto his side of the table. "What do you say you take a break soon," he murmured, propping his hand on his chin as he looked at her. "Just for a few minutes."
Penny could only stare. What could she even say? It was such an innocent statement and yet not all at once.
When at last he drew away she too leaned back, painfully aware that in the moment she'd been on the edge of her seat. She lifted the book in her hands to keep herself occupied but noted the sudden chill running up her spine to hear his voice again so soon.
"A break sounds nice," she answered distractedly, glancing at him over the pages briefly before ducking behind them. As much as she was coming to like his attention she had to remind herself he was there for a reason and needed to be allowed to return to his life as soon as she was able to let him. That wouldn't happen until she understood the magic she'd used to bring him there. "After I finish this chapter," she promised.
"Take your time." He leaned back in his chair and folded his arms behind his head, adding lazily, "And make sure you eat that bread. I know it's not much, but it's better than nothing."
Maybe he could go hunting for these people while he was here, in return for their hospitality. At least it would offer something different to eat.
She didn't like being reminded again how she was neglecting her growling tummy, but she obliged him silently as she continued her reading. At last she managed to tune out his presence and settle back into the words written upon the pages.
While interesting, the chapter didn't contain any new information that might help her solve their problem. With a sigh Penny finally set the book down again with the page open to the start of the next chapter. She pinched at the bridge of her nose in thought before releasing it and lifting her head to him with a tired smile. Definitely too much reading. It was starting to make her head spin. "Shall we, then?"
Mal gave her a sympathetic smile as he stood. "Nothing, huh?" He tried to ignore the pang of disappointment.
Moving around to her side of the table, he offered his hand with a lopsided smile. "I believe we shall, milady."
She took his hand easily enough as she stood from her chair. The young mage cast one more apologetic look towards the book, noting she had quite a lot more to read of it if she was going to get through the whole thing. It would probably take her the better part of the day at the pace she was going. "Not yet, I'm sorry," she apologized. "But something will turn up soon, I'm sure.
"Did you have something in mind, though? Another walk? Another flight?" she asked the last a little too hopeful probably, remembering the thrill fondly. "Or is it a secret?"
Catching the excitement in her tone, Mal smiled at her. "Do you want to fly?" he asked, eyes sparkling. "I'd be happy to oblige you- but that's going to be more than a "few minutes" sort of break."
Penny frowned a bit at the reminder. She certainly had no business spending more than a few minutes away from all of it, but would it really be so bad if he was offering? "It would be nice, if you really don't mind it. It was really fun and-" She tilted her head before offering him a cheeky smile. "I was wondering if you could go any faster." Besides, when would she ever get the chance once he was gone?
Mal laughed. "Oh, sweetheart," he chuckled, tugging her against his side as they moved outside. "You really shouldn't bait me."
He led her back over the hill to the secluded place she'd taken him the previous night, then dropped her hand and stepped away, letting the change shiver through him until the massive bird was looking down at her with his head cocked, eyes glinting.
"Climb on then."
Excitement bubbled within her with the prospect so near again. It seemed he was going to indulge her after all.
She watched him with the same glint of admiration in her eyes as she witness his transformation again. He was just as beautiful in the light of day with the way the sun caught on his feathers, though she missed the subtle smolder from dusk.
Penny didn't need to be told twice, but she was just as careful as before about climbing onto his back to not pull any feathers. "I'm going to regret this, aren't I?" she laughed, holding onto his shoulders and hunkering down to glue herself to him as best as she could.
He chuckled. "See? We are getting to know each other," he teased. Fanning his wings, he warned, "Wrap your arms around my neck and hold on."
He barely waited a moment for her to follow his advice before rocketing into the air, climbing considerably higher than he had the previous night- the warmth that radiated off his feathers would protect her from the chill at this altitude.
With a sharp cry, like the call of a hunting hawk magnified through flame, he twisted around into a steep dive, nearly brushing the ground again before he changed direction and swooped back up, leveling off to bank in a lazy circle.
Penny was quick to adjust as he suggested, but she still felt herself come off his back a bit as he shot into the air. She squealed her delight for the sudden feeling of her stomach dropping out and clung to him tightly as the wind howled at her ears.
Just when she'd been getting comfortable with going up they were angled down so suddenly and she couldn't help but hold her breath as they rushed toward the ground. Her eyes closed instinctively but when no impact came and they were rising up again she opened them to peer down at the ground below.
"That was mean," she scolded playfully, leaning close against his neck and relishing in the warmth that enveloped her.
Mal laughed, twisting his head and rolling his eyes back to look at her. "I told you not to bait me," he teased, giving a sharp flap to send them gliding forward, over the house she shared with Kura, then banked in a wide arch to circle them back.
He gave a contented sort of sigh, just letting the wind carry them for a moment. It was rare he had the chance to just enjoy flying like this. "you doing alright back there?" he asked after a moment or two.
She watched in fascination as they flew over the house. It was so familiar and yet not, so different to be viewing from the sky. Wondering what else she could see she peered out over the trees and hills as they glided. In the distance she thought she could even make out the town as a blur against the sea of green. It was so beautiful to see it all from the sky, a vantage she never would have thought to be possible before.
His voice got her attention, though, and she nodded eagerly, squeezing against his neck slightly in acknowledgment. "I love this. It's so beautiful," Penny admired. Truthfully she didn't want it to end, but not quite understanding how the dynamic of flying worked exactly she assumed such a feat was quite tiring for him.
"We can go back if you're getting tired," she suggested halfheartedly.
"I'm fine," he assured her with another quiet chuckle. "Just don't want to push you too much all at once."
Secretly he was thrilled she seemed to be enjoying herself so much. He'd never really had the chance to share something like this with anyone else before, and he found it was rather pleasant.
"Oh I'm good, don't worry," she promised eagerly, clutching him a little tighter as they soared.
"This is just so...amazing. It's all the same! But not. It's interesting."
Mal laughed again. "I know what you mean," he said, turning a bit to glide over the path she'd led them down the day before. "Anything specific you'd like to see?"
She looked out at land before them just trying to identify exactly where they were. A slight shimmer in the distance caught her eye and she pointed out ahead as if that might help him. "The lake? It's a bit north of town. There, I think."
"Got it." He changed direction a bit to bring them gliding toward the body of water, circling around it once before coming in to land on the shore, ruffling his feathers as he hunkered down so she could get off.
She watched over his wing in awe of how it looked from above. It was nothing like she'd ever seen from land, but she was surprised when he was angling to take them down.
Carefully dismounting, she pat his shoulder gently. "Thank you. I was only expecting you to fly over, you know." Penny gestured at the town with slight concern, as if the threat of someone seeing him should have been enough for him not to try such a thing, but she was happy for it anyway.
"This is nice, though," she sighed happily, stepping a little closer to the water before bending to let her fingers glide over the surface. It was definitely real, but it was still such an amazing thing to her how he'd managed to get them there so quickly.
Mal took his human form and shrugged, moving up beside her to kneel next to the water. "Well, I figured you could use some pretty sights after staring at musty old books for hours on end," he said lightly.
Honestly, he was a little concerned he might have been spotted by someone in town- but it shouldn't really be a problem, he was human now. And he'd be more careful flying them back, that was all.
"They are not musty," she laughed, crouching down to sit on the bank instead.She folded her legs to one side and set her hands on her lap instead. "Old, yes, but we take good care of them if I do say so myself."
Penny took a moment to just take in the sight quietly, a small smile playing at her lips. Closing her eyes, she took a few soothing breaths. "Fresh air's nice," she whispered. "Calming."
He settled in to sit beside her with a small smile at her defense of her books. "It is nice," he agreed in a murmur, leaning back on his elbows and tilting his head back, letting his eyes slide closed.
For a moment he allowed himself to just relax, enjoy the quiet. Then his rather energetic nature asserted itself and he sat up straight again. "Hey." He bumped Penny's shoulder and grinned at her, eyes glinting. "Wanna go for a swim?"
"Swim?" Her eyes bugged slightly as she glanced between him and the depths of the water beyond them. Was that even a good idea for a phoenix? Surely it wouldn't kill him if he suggested it.
"I haven't done that since I was a girl. I don't even know if I'd remember how," she admitted, biting her lip as she considered it. Surely there could be no harm in it if he was a skilled swimmer, though.
"As long as you don't let me die. Or make a fool of myself," she finally agreed, leaning to bump his shoulder in the same playful manner. That fluttering thrill in her belly returned for the prospect of something relatively new and exciting to try.
Mal laughed and stood, gripping her arm to pull her up with him. "I promise," he said with a quick grin. Without further ado he shucked his boots and socks, then peeled his shirt off over his head and fumbled for a moment with the tie of his pants, letting them fall to the ground.
Left in his underthings, he kicked his clothes away and started wading out into the water, looking back at Penny with an encouraging smile. "You coming?"
Penny stood and kicked off her shoes easily enough but was startled and froze as she watched him mostly disrobe. Well she hadn't expected him to soak his clothes for a bit of a swim, though she didn't quite know what else she'd expected to happen.
Her cheeks reddened considerably and she instinctively turned to give him her side while she looked out towards the town, as if expecting someone to call her out on the impropriety of the situation. After only a few moments of floundering, though, Penny slipped out of her dress and set it aside with great care. She felt quite naked to only be in the thin chemise she wore beneath. She certainly couldn't remember the last time she'd been outside in only so much clothing. There was no harm in it if nobody else saw, right?
"Okay, okay," she muttered, reaching to pull her hair back to pile atop her head as she gingerly stepped into the water. She realized quite quickly, though, that she had nothing to tie it with and let it all fall back down again as she cautiously waded out. The silt of the lake felt strange to be walking on but she kept her balance well enough as she moved out further away from the bank.
Mal watched completely unabashed as she stripped down enough to get into the water. His eyebrows went up a bit. Huh. Pretty Penny indeed.
"Come on," he urged when she got in the water, already waist deep in the lake. He held his hand out with a grin. "I'm not gonna let you drown. I promised, remember?"
"Yes, but you have to actually make good on that. Easy to just say it," she pointed out, reaching a cautious hand to take his own. It felt easier to step out that way with something, or rather someone, to lean upon.
Penny was nervous to go much deeper, though, and stopped before she reached the point where she would need to take her feet off the floor. "I don't know if this is such a good idea," she admitted in a whisper, closing her eyes tightly and turning her face away to start backpedaling in retreat.
"Hey," Mal said softly, reaching out with his other hand to brush his fingers across her cheek with a smile. He stepped a little closer and drew her toward him. He was tall enough that he still touched the floor of the lake, but he knew she'd be treading water.
Slipping an arm around her waist, he pulled her against him so she had something solid to hold onto. "See? You're fine. I told you, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."
Penny started slightly at the contending pressure between them, but it only took a few moments for Mal to win and pull her out. As soon as she was floating her eyes shot open again and she was rushing to cling to him.
Staring down into the water she carefully curled and uncurled her legs to try and stretch enough to reach but it wasn't happening. But it wasn't so bad, either. The water was calm and clear, and once she'd settled enough from the initial shock of being thrust into the cold she realized she actually could float on her own.
Cautiously loosening her hold on him, Penny set an arm out to better balance herself and tread water before letting go entirely. Her body took up the motion easily enough, the instinct of how still firmly engrained.
"Okay," she murmured, more for her own encouragement than anything. "Thank you. I think I can do this." She tilted her head up with a smile.
"There, you see?" He grinned at her, backing up a bit until he was treading water himself. "Come on, try to swim to me," he encouraged, backing up a bit further with an almost taunting smile.
Wading out looked simple enough. With his encouragement she moved at a crawl through the water towards him. It felt a little odd to have nothing below to stand on. She was slowly getting the hang of it again, but it really had been a long time since she'd truly swam let alone floated on the water.
"Am I doing all right?" she asked once she reached him, a slightly proud glint in her eyes even as she sought his approval. "This actually feels...nice. Not cold anymore, either."
Mal smiled at her, eyes glinting. "You're doing great," he assured her, sweeping his arms through the water to move back a bit further.
He chuckled a bit when she said she wasn't cold anymore. "I wouldn't know," he said with a grin and a little shrug, "I don't really feel cold much. Come on." He stroked away from her and let his body relax so he was floating on his back.
His eyes closed with a small, contented sigh. "Now this is taking a break."
Penny looked between where he was and the shoreline and was actually quite surprised at how far they'd gone already. She laughed a little as she watched him turn over onto his back. It was interesting to watch and she honestly had no idea how it worked.
"How are you doing that?" she mused curiously, tilting her head at him as she moved to follow. She turned over very slowly to try and mimic him, but it didn't quite seem the same as she kicked around lazily to keep moving across the water, her hair fanning out annoyingly as she went. It afforded her a wonderful view of the sky at least, and she was content enough just laying back to watch the clouds roam by.
"It feels kind of strange," she giggled. "Like there should be something holding me up but there's nothing there."
He smiled, turning his head a bit to look at her. "Yeah, it is kinda strange. You just...float."
A wicked sort of gleam entered his eyes and he silently rolled off his back to tread water again. Taking a quick breath, he ducked his head under the water and with one quick stroke propelled himself under Penny.
With a kick he shot toward the surface, wrapping his arm around her waist as he did so he propelled them both out of the water for a moment, then bobbed in place, treading water with his other arm to keep them afloat.
She hadn't noticed him moving until he was disappearing beneath the water. Penny just laughed, though, smiling up at the sky as she assumed he was just going for a dive. When she felt herself being lifted up so quickly her hands shot out to the arm that caged her and she shrieked in surprise.
"Mal!" she gasped, turning her head to glare at him over her shoulder but failing miserably at hiding her smile and amusement at his idea of fun.
"What was that for?" Penny laughed, relaxing some now that she was certain a wandering lake monster wasn't trying to eat her.
He shrugged and grinned, completely unabashed. "Because I could," he said easily, letting his hands smooth down her sides to rest on her hips, keeping her pressed close against him. "You gotta admit, it was a little funny," he murmured, dipping his head to rest his chin on her shoulder while he kept them afloat by kicking his legs.
"Yes, but a little warning next time would be nice," she scolded gently, tilting her head to eye him for a moment before flicking her tongue to stick out briefly in a childish display.
"And what's this about?" she tsked, reaching down to poke one of his hands that held her in such a familiar way. It felt more than a little wrong- They were all but naked, after all, and she was highly aware of just how much she could feel through her soaked chemise. The fabric was hardly a barrier at that point.
"Hm?" Mal blinked innocently. "Oh, I'm just keeping my promise. Making sure you don't drown," he said casually, letting his hands drift up to her waist.
Sobering, he added, "If I'm making you uncomfortable, Penny, I can bring us back to shallow water so you can stand." Normally he probably would have pressed his luck a little further- but that didn't seem like such a good idea considering this girl quite literally held his fate in her hands.
"I'm not. Not uncomfortable, I just like looking at the person I'm talking to," she protested with a shake of her head.
"I like swimming, though," she decided after a moment. "It's very...free. Like flying. But not quite like it. Different free. Does that make sense?"
"Yes, it does. Somehow." Mal grinned and easily twisted her around, keeping his hands on her waist but now with her facing him. "Now we're looking at each other- better?"
His thumbs absently began to trace circles on her sides and he looked back over her shoulder at the shore. "For someone who was so reluctant to do this, we're pretty far out," he noted with a crooked smile.
"Much better," she chirped happily, relaxing a bit now that she didn't have to strain so much just to look at him. She did cast a brief look over her shoulder, though, and shrugged.
"Did you think I would be afraid?" she scoffed with false pride. Yes, she'd been scared. Scared enough she almost hadn't done it. Somehow it had been calming to know he'd be there with her the whole way. Even if he was a handsy protector.
Shaking his head, he laughed quietly. "Silly thing to assume I suppose. You might be the most fearless girl I've ever met," he told her, only half teasing.
She'd wanted to fly, and she hadn't been content with with a lazy glide, she wanted fast. Despite the effort it took she threw herself into her magic studies with everything she had, even forgetting to eat apparently. And now here she was, practically naked with a man she barely knew in water too deep for her to stand.
Maybe a little naive as well as fearless.
"Oh, not fearless," she corrected, reaching out to tap a dripping finger to his nose with a playful smirk. "I just like trying...new. Doesn't always work perfectly." She cast a knowing look back towards the shore where she knew the feather was safely nestled among her pile of clothes.
"When it does I think it's worth it. Like your flying," she reminded him again, smiling fondly. "The thrill, you know?"
"I do," he agreed, eyes sparkling. He followed her glance back to shore- and a thought suddenly struck him.
"You left the feather back with our clothes, didn't you?" A rhetorical question, it wasn't like she had anywhere to put the thing in her thin little chemise. "And yet I'm all the way out here..." he mused, brow furrowing.
"It would seem I'm bound to you, not the feather," he concluded, tilting his head to the side. "Odd." Well, the whole situation was odd.
"Yeah, I did... Oh." Her eyes widened slightly in concern for a moment, as if expecting the feather to suddenly remember itself and yank away her anchor. When nothing happened, though, she simply nodded at his explanation. It didn't seem right, though. How could that be?
"But the spell...is on the feather?" While her voice was uncertain her memory of the previous morning was quite clear. That the feather could have simply served as a vessel of sorts hadn't occurred to her yet.
"I don't understand any of this," Penny sighed, truly devastated that it seemed even more complicated than before. "Maybe there's a book on that sort of bond. I'll make sure I check." Somehow she doubted it would be of any help, though. Where was she even supposed to begin if she didn't even know exactly what she'd done to him?
Sensing her shift in mood, Mal offered her a small smile. "Hey, I'm sure you'll find something," he said encouragingly, putting his own doubts and concerns aside for a moment. "I've got faith in you, Penny," he said with a quick smile.
Not that he really had much choice in this situation, but still...
Her eyes brightened a bit to hear it. Truthful or not she would take it. "I'm glad you aren't mad at me," she admitted. "This would all be so much worse if I'd summoned an angry pyromancer."
Penny reached out to him with an uncertain gesture, hand hovering in her awkward silence as she'd forgotten what she was even doing with it. Clearing her throat she simply gave his cheek a gentle pat before glancing out to the shoreline again. "We should probably get out soon."
Blinking at he awkward yet somehow endearing pat to his cheek, it took Mal a second to digest what she was saying. "Oh. Um, yeah, we probably should."
Reluctantly he released her and started gliding back toward the shore. "Come on, let's get you back to your musty books," he teased over his shoulder.
Penny just laughed and smiled, accepting his teasing for what is was as she slowly swam along behind him. It was a relief once she was able to touch her feet to the bottom again even though it wasn't exactly scary to be left floating anymore.
She didn't linger and hurried herself out entirely once she realized how cold she was to have the unforgiving air surrounding her instead of the lake she'd gotten quite comfortably acclimated to. Hugging herself tightly she rushed over to grab her dress and shoes only to realize they'd be thoroughly soaked as well if she put them on.
"I didn't plan for after," she complained, though she looked at him thoughtfully after a moment. "You don't happen to know a...drying spell, do you? With all your fire?"
He gave her a crooked smile as he climbed out of the lake himself, shaking moisture from his hair. "As a matter of fact, I do."
He closed his eye for a moment and took a breath through his nose, reaching deep into his core to find the fire that seemed to be at the very center of him. Grasping the heat, but not the flame itself, he exhaled and made a whirling sort of gesture with his hand.
A gust of warm, dry air swirled around them, almost instantly drying their clothes and hair. Mal blinked his eyes open and chuckled slightly. "Sorry," he told Penny, eyes glinting. "I think I may have mussed up your hair a bit."
Penny watched expectantly, surprised that he could actually meet her request. Suddenly she was no longer soaked and chilled to the bone and she felt light and airy again. She giggled as she ran her hands through her hair to smooth it out and quickly got into the rest of her things.
"It'll be mussed again on the way back, don't worry." She was only teasing, but she was quite impressed that he'd actually been able to help.
"That's quite a nice trick you have there, though. If I didn't know any better I would think you planned all of this."
"Who, me?" He gave her a dramatically offended look. "Why, how could you think I'd be so scheming?" Dropping the act, he chuckled and have her a shrug as he stepped back a few paces so he could change easier and said, "Actually, this all just happened to work out very well for me."
"Really?" Penny smiled, her expression softening with relief that he still genuinely didn't seem all that upset over their situation. "I'm glad you think so."
Mal shrugged again. "I'm not saying it's something I would have exactly wished on myself," he said honestly, meeting her eyes. "But it could have turned out far worse, all things considered. You and Kura have both been very kind to me."
She nodded in understanding. "I wouldn't wish it upon anyone," she admitted, frowning as she approached him at last. "This time go slow... I'm not in a hurry to get- Well... I mean you can hurry just if you want to take the scenic route please do." Penny flushed for the way she fumbled over her words, angry with herself that she didn't seem to be able to put things together as prettily with him.
Chuckling, Mal nodded and shifted forms, ducking down so she could climb on. "I'll take it slow," he assured her. "Sometimes an even glide can be more enjoyable than all those fancy tricks."
Her eyes brightened a bit and she hummed eagerly in agreement. She liked both a lot. She just loved flying as a whole, really.
"Thank you," she spoke genuinely, giving him a gentle pat on the neck once she was settled again. It was getting easier each time now that she knew where to sit most comfortably and how to hold on.
True to his word, Mal flew them the scenic route back to the house, hardly flapping at all and mostly just gliding on the air currents. Circling once over the hill, he banked and brought them back to the base, to the little "secret spot" where he'd first changed in front of her.
He touched down with a few chuffs and clucks, ruffling his feathers and extending a wing so she could use it as a kind of slide to dismount.
Penny enjoyed their flight, short as it seemed. She watched as the house became larger and larger ahead and then looked over his wing on their descent, a little twinge of sadness tugging at her heart for the end of something so good and fun.
She was wary of leaning her weight upon his wing but did slide down instead of chancing the larger, clumsier fall of just letting herself slip off his back. "Most well-mannered firebird I've ever met, thank you," she teased, running her fingers along the brighter coloring of his wings. It was fascinating how they blended and changed.
"I suppose it's time for me to get back to work, isn't it?"
A pleasant little shiver ran up his spine as she stroked his feathers and he ruffled his wings a bit before he tucked them against his side and shifted back to human form.
"Why thank you, milady," he said with a cheeky grin, giving her a mock bow. With a small sigh, he glanced back at the house and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is." Offering his arm, he quirked an eyebrow. "If I may?"
"Well it would just be so cruel to deny you." She rolled her eyes but indulged him to join their arms again, secretly thrilled he was still being so playful with her.
Her feet moved slowly, in no real rush to return home now that she'd been out again and gotten a taste of things other than locking herself in her teacher's library. Much as she enjoyed her studies she would be lying if she denied how stressful it was to turn her focus so suddenly towards topics she didn't fully grasp in search of a solution she wasn't even sure would work for them.
Mal matched his pace to hers, not wanting to rush her and honestly not in a great hurry himself. He did want this business with the feather over with quickly, but he felt no need to push Penny to work beyond where she felt comfortable.
It wasn't as though he really had anywhere else to be.
"So, I was thinking," he said a little suddenly, more musing aloud than anything else. "If...this whole thing takes longer than a day or two... Would you mind flying out so I can see Da?" He found himself flushing a bit and rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Was it strange for a grown man to be a little homesick?
"It's just, it's been a month or two, and since I apparently can't go anywhere without you..." He trailed off and cleared his throat, dropping his eyes to look at his feet.
Her eyes went a little wide at his question. "Well... I'll be working hard today, but..." He seemed off suddenly.
Penny studied him, trying to determine why he seemed so anxious. She didn't quite see the issue with his question. "I don't see why not, you're certainly entitled to travel. Does that mean you wanted to go soon? Tomorrow? If I can't tonight, that is."
His eyes snapped up to her, a little surprised. "You really don't mind?" He smiled slightly. "I would've though you'd be hell bent on sticking to your studies or something." Which he certainly wouldn't have blamed her for.
Giving a quick nod, he said gratefully, "Tomorrow is good. If we went tonight he'd probably want us to stay the night, and the cottage isn't very big, I'm not sure how comfortable you'd be. Plus Kura probably wouldn't like it..." He trailed off again, a small smile fixed to his face. "Thank you."
"I mean don't get me wrong. I want to, but... Just wouldn't be right to tell you no," she explained. "If you're going to be stuck with me a little bit longer."
Penny didn't quite care what Kura thought. Sure the old mage would be a little disgruntled, but she didn't have any real say in what her student did. If seeing his father would make him happier who was she to stop him?
"I'll handle Kura," she promised, smiling some and nudging him gently. "And stay as long as you like, don't rush off on my account. Unless you can't stand to be around him too much."
He gave her another quick smile. "Well if you're sure." Pausing in front of the door to her house, he turned to face her properly and took her hands in his. "Thank you, Penny. Really."
Impulsively, he leaned forward to press a light peck to her cheek, then pulled back quickly. "Ahem. Well, shall we face the music?" He gestured to the door. He couldn't imagine Kura was going to be particularly thrilled that he'd essentially kidnapped her student for a few hours.
The simple gesture of his thanks and appreciation left her staring up at him dumbly, just nodding for his question. A hand reached to touch her cheek in some small effort to hide the blush that had crept up to her face.
"If we must." After a few moments of just standing there not actually doing anything or going in she gave a vigorous shake of her head and turned quickly to step inside at last.
"Well there you are." Penny flinched for the immediate voice of her teacher and looked up to see the older woman staring at her. Perhaps she'd heard them approach. Maybe she'd heard some of what was said, even.
"Hi," Penny greeted with a shy little wave, feeling a little guilty to be caught entering her own home, temporary as it was.
"I don't think I want to ask what you two have been up to to be gone for so long. But I'm glad you're back." Kura huffed and shut her book with a muffled snap before holding it out for her student to take. "Put that away for me, would you please?"
"Of course, um... There's just something I need to tell you?"
Kura rolled her eyes and turned slightly in her chair to better face them. "Tell me quickly before I start drawing my own conclusions here."
"Well..." Could it really be that simple? "I'm going away with Mal. To visit his father." She nodded. That sounded right. It was the truth after all.
"Going away? And are you planning on coming back or have you given up on all of this?"
Penny frowned sadly, a little upset she might even tease her about being so weak of heart. "I'm not giving up, I'm just going with him so he can see his home. I think I need more time for this," she mumbled the last, a little embarrassed to be admitting it even though it was plain as day. "Not right to keep him cooped up here."
"Hmm." Kura's eyes flickered to stare at him accusingly. "And where are you taking my Penny, Mister Mal? Where is home?"
"Mistress Kura, I asked her to do this, she's not shirking responsibility," Mal hurried to say, unconsciously moving up behind Penny and laying a hand on the small of her back. "We won't be gone long, the cottage really isn't that far from here." Not by air at least. "A few miles southeast, following the river."
For some reason feeling that he needed to defend the decision, he arched an eyebrow and added, "Penny is a grown woman, you know. I think she'd perfectly capable of making the choice herself."
"Didn't realize you were a local," Kura muttered, knowing already she was defeated if Penny insisted on going with him. The older mage eyed her student carefully, judging the familiar hand Mal rested upon her and how unbothered Penny seemed by it. If nothing else Kura would be concerned no matter how much she teased them for their predicament.
With a sigh she finally relaxed and turned to lean back in her chair again. "Capable doesn't always mean smart, but... Yes, it is her choice," she finally conceded, much as she was worried for the girl she'd kept under her wing for years suddenly disappearing with a stranger she'd stumbled into summoning. "Return her to me safely and we won't have any problems, I suppose. And it's just Kura, silly bird. No 'Mistress' in this house."
"We won't be too long," Penny promised, mood suddenly brightening to have her teacher's approval. She didn't need it, of course, but she didn't want to feel like she was sneaking around and tiptoeing the issue in her own home.
Happy enough to have it out in the open Penny looked up at him with a smile of thanks. "Feel free to do what you like. I know there isn't much around here, but I'm going to continue reading," she announced, unwilling to give up just because they had tentative plans now. Heading back down to the study she placed Kura's book back on the shelf -at least where she thought it was meant to go- before settling herself once more at the desk.
Mal smiled and nodded in thanks. "Of course, M- Kura. She'll be perfectly safe with me, I promise." Even if he'd been inclined to let the girl fend for herself, she was his only ticket out of this whole mess. If nothing else, he hoped the older mage would trust that he'd be self-serving enough to protect her for this own interests.
He watched Penny move off to the study and shook his head with a small, wry smile. Girl was going to work herself to death, she really was.
Shifting his weight a little awkwardly, he glanced at Kura. "Er...it seems I have some free time. Need any help around here? Any chores that need doing?" It would be better than staring at the ceiling.
Kura was secretly pleased that he remained and didn't run off after Penny with his tail between his legs. "Well how thoughtful of you," she praised, looking around as she pondered what she could have him do with his limitations.
"That depends on how handy you are and how generous you're feeling," she chuckled, shaking her head as she had a few things in mind but guessed his offer was more out of politeness than anything. "I hope you know you don't need to do anything for us."
"I know." He smiled. "I don't mind, really. I'll go stir crazy if I just sit around doing nothing." He glanced at the study, then shrugged. "I'm good with my hands, and I can do magic- mostly fire spells, but some household stuff. Problem is I can't get more than a few yards from the girl."
"As long as you don't burn the house down I think we'll be alright." Kura laughed and pondered her options again. Turning her head to look around she finally pointed out the chair that had been covered in the corner for far too long. "That there. The chair? Maybe you could help with that. Penny broke off the arms in an...incident last year. Maybe you could clean it all up and fix it?"
Mal moved toward the chair and nodded, flashing her a grin. "Yeah, I think I can manage that." He removed the cover and raised his eyebrows slightly at the damage. "Ah...what sort of incident?" he asked as he set to work, kneeling beside the thing and running his hands over it, seeing what had to be done.
The mage cracked a smile of remembrance for it, shaking her head and chuckling under her breath. "She fell on it, poor dear. Bruised herself up pretty good." Kura gestured to the small gathering of chairs, the couch, and table that crowded the room.
"We were rearranging the room and she tripped and fell. Clumsy thing. If you think it's too badly damaged just let me know. Can always commission another if it's going to be too much work," she offered, not wanting to trouble him with it if the thing was truly beyond repair. "I just don't know enough to do it myself and neither does Penelope."
Mal chuckled, shaking his head. "Why am I not surprised?" Glancing up at Lura, he added wryly, "Though honestly I have to say I wouldn't think she had enough weight on her to do this much damage." He sat back. "I can probably fix it, but I'll need some tool. You happen to have any?"
"Oh, certainly." Kura rose from her seat at last and hurried over to the small cupboard where they stored most of their odds and ends. She pulled a wooden box of assorted tools from inside and carried it over to set by the chair.
"Perhaps that will have what you need. We don't really use them much, but there are some things my magic simply can't fix." She laughed and left him with a gentle pat on the shoulder. "I won't hover, but let me know if there's anything else you need."
He nodded and shot her a smile. "Thanks, will do."
He set to work easily. Working with his hands had always had a kind of meditative effect on him, allowing his mind to calm while his body went through the motions. He became so absorbed in his task he barely noticed the passage of time.
Penny remained focused upon her reading for the rest of the evening, even past the point of getting any reasonable light through the window that required her to light a few candles around the room to see by.
While it was certainly her turn to prepare the evening meal Kura took pity on her to allow her to continue her studies undisturbed and busy herself in the kitchen in her stead. The older mage approached Mal in the main room again as she moved to light the larger fireplace there once everything was mostly done. "How's it coming along?" she asked gently, not wanting to startle him with her sudden presence.
The phoenix glanced up, grinned, and stood aside with a flourish of his hand to show his finished handiwork. "There you are, good as new." He glanced at it, shrugged, and added, "Well, mostly."
His eyes flicked to the window and widened. Letting out a low whistle, he shook his head. "Damn, it's late." He glanced at the study and frowned. "Has she been in there this whole time?"
Her eyes swept over his work and she smiled in thanks, appreciative that he'd actually managed to fix it up. It was easy to be skeptical of the possibility of this new person making a mess of her house, but there wasn't much more that he could have done to make the situation any worse for something forgotten and covered in the corner. "Thank you, it looks very beautiful."
She followed his eyes to the window, though, and nodded with a somber look. "She...has been, yes. She's a very dedicated young woman." Kura shook her head in reflection, smiling knowingly as she moved away to head towards the study door. "Very passionate. Always has been- Penny?"
She knocked briefly on the door before entering to the startled, wide-eyed look of her student. Noting how pale and tired she looked Kura frowned and gestured with her hand for her to get up. "Come out of there, you've done enough for today."
Penny hesitated, shaking her head at first and gesturing at the book still lying before her. "I need to finish this," she muttered.
"It wasn't a request," Kura reminded her gently. "Dinner's about ready. And it's rude of you to leave your guest unattended for so long."
"He isn't my guest. I mean he is but..." She trailed off distractedly, shaking her head again before pushing the book out away from herself a bit so she could stand at last. She could handle a bit of time away from the books and scrolls that had consumed her evening. It was only temporary after all.
Mal immediately frowned when he saw Penny. "You look like hell," he told her bluntly, crossing the room and cupping her face in his hands without thinking so he could better scrutinize her.
With a sigh, he shook his head and found one hand going to her hair, smoothing over the top of her head and down her back. "Gods, you really are going to work yourself to death if you're not careful," he told her, brow furrowed in a combination of concern and exasperation.
Penny froze and stared up at him in confusion. "It's not that bad," she defended automatically, though she had no idea what she even looked like. Surely she couldn't be that bad over a bit of reading, could she? The young mage didn't realize the toll that such intense concentration could take on a person.
The hand running over her hair was oddly soothing, though, and suddenly she was quite aware of how he was touching her again. She couldn't help the small little smile as she reached to tug on his arm gently while she turned her head away in an effort to hide her warming cheeks. She really shouldn't have been so flustered over it, after all, he was just concerned for her as any sane person would have been.
"That doesn't happen, you know. Nobody's ever read themselves to death. I think...I'll be okay."
He scoffed. "And no one's ever summoned a phoenix without burning one of his feathers before either." He assumed. "Impossible things seem to happen to you, Pretty Penny."
Shaking his head, he dropped his hand and muttered, "Come on, let's get some food in you, then you should take a nap or something."
She nodded, smiling to herself at how much he was fussing over her. Kura just shook her head and ushered her along. "Go sit," she ordered gently.
Penny obeyed easily enough and took her place at the table as she normally would. She was surprised at how dark it was outside, finding herself staring out at the dim light of the moon. "It's a little late for a nap, I think." She frowned a bit but smiled her thanks once Kura placed her dinner before her.
Mal took a place for himself and chuckled. "I was sort of hoping I could bribe you with nap and you'd be so tired you'd actually just stay asleep," he admitted with a crooked grin. "Gods, girl, I think visiting my father will be as good for as it'll be for me- he won't let you do anything close to work if you're his guest."
"What? I'm hardly working now," Penny scoffed, rolling her eyes before flashing Kura a smile of thanks as she brought the rest of dinner to the table for Mal and herself.
"I'll just...bring a couple of books along," she said thoughtfully as she began picking at her plate. "No harm in a bit of reading. Surely he can't be against that." Of course, Penny's way of reading was far from casual.
"You'll do no such thing," Mal retorted, giving Kura a nod and a mile of his own. "Yu're right, there's no harm in a bit of reading- but I don't think you're capable of a bit." He added as he began to eat. "Besides, Da knows more about firebirds anyhow. Maybe he'll be able to help with the research, let you take a break."
"Maybe he does, but would he know anything about this kind of...spell stuff?" It hadn't quite occurred to her that he might know more about the magic she'd managed when it involved a phoenix. Penny was just skeptical about what he could know about what she was looking for even when he was his adoptive father. "I guess I can ask, but would be a waste if I didn't bring something along, don't you think?"
"Penny." Mal gave her a dry look. "Adrian Denan probably knows more about my kind that just about any human alive. Trust me, if you haven't found something already, he'll be able to help." Shrugging, he tucked back into his meal and added, "We'll only be gone for a quick visit anyway, I'll have you back to your precious books soon enough."
"Hope he can teach me quickly, then." She shrugged and returned to her meal, ignoring the amused little chuckles of Kura and shooting the older woman a tired look.
She wouldn't admit it, but being away from her little sanctuary of concentration was making her realize just how tired she really was even as she slumped forward at the table. There was no reason to stop, though, no matter how much either of them warned her. There was no good reason to rest until her wrong was made right again.
"This is ridiculous," Mal muttered, frowning at the girl. When she seemed down with her food, he gave Kura a quick smile and "thanks" for the meal, then stood and walked around the table to put his hands on Penny's shoulders.
"To bed with you," he said firmly, easily bending to slip one arm under her knees and straightening up with her cradled to his chest. "And so help me if you try to go back into that damned study I will lock you in your room, I swear to gods."
Penny hardly had time to process what was happening before she was already suspended in the air and casting a desperate look at her snickering teacher. "Kura!" she hissed, wincing at Mal's threat as she did her best to be limp in his arms. He could carry her but she wasn't going to make it any easier, though she knew she'd have a hard time of truly making it difficult for him as she was small enough as it was.
"At least let me get my book, I'll just read it there," she tried to bargain, tilting her head back to glare up at him as sternly as possible. Of course it was difficult to be truly firm when she was so worn out.
"Not a chance," he told her with a bright smile, moving down the hall to the room he remembered to be here and nudging the door open with his foot. "When I said "to bed", I meant it."
He dumped her unceremoniously into the bed and stood over her with his arms folded, one eyebrow raised. "Now, do I have to stand here until you fall asleep, like a child? And don't think I won't go through with that locking the door threat."
He was only half teasing, and it was pretty clear in his tone.
She grunted and huffed, turning up her nose at his orders even as she made no move to disobey him. "And here I thought you were being honest earlier defending me as a 'grown woman,'" she teased, shaking her head as she situated herself more comfortably.
"Go on then," she urged, making a shooing gesture at the door, fully intending to go fetch her book once he was gone if she was to be banished from the study.
Watching her get settled, Mal was doing his best not to remember that she was a grown women.
He wasn't quite able to resist the urge to bend and brush her hair off her face, pressing a quick peck to her temple. "Really, Penny. For my sake if nothing else, please just get some sleep," he murmured, turning to leave the room.
"I'll sleep," she promised, watching him go before whispering to herself, "Just not as much as you want." Penny didn't really understand why he would worry himself over her choices anyway. Shouldn't he want her to work hard?
Once she thought he might have been gone long enough Penny slipped out of bed to go retrieve the book she'd been pouring herself into all day. She was barely halfway done with it, but as she returned to her room and settled back into bed a heavy feeling of guilt settled upon her shoulders.
She read a little by candlelight but she really was feeling the pull of overwhelming exhaustion. Eventually it was too much and Penny fell asleep with her cheek pressed into the page and her hands loosely clutching it to her.
Mal shook his head and returned to his own room, collapsing back onto the bed with a quiet groan. He really shouldn't be letting this girl get to him, but he couldn't seem to help himself.
He was just tired. That was it. It had been a rather stressful and strange couple of days. He'd get some rest, and things would be easier to manage in the morning. Adrian probably would be able to help with this binding, and then the whole mess would be behind him.
Rolling onto his side, he forced himself to relax and ignore the tiny, uncomfortable twinge at the thought of leaving.
Penny slept quite soundly into the morning and awoke quite confused about the book serving as her pillow. The candle was fully melted in its little dish and she was a bit disoriented trying to remember why she'd even bothered to try reading.
Remembering their plans, though, she closed the book in defeat and set it atop the bedside table as she rose to greet the day. Mal probably wouldn't allow her to bring it anyway and she didn't want to upset him if he was so confident in his father's ability to help them. She wasn't sure what else to bring along with her and eventually decided upon nothing.
Emerging for the day she was pleasantly surprised at the bit of breakfast Kura had already set out on the table. "And tea? Well that's very thorough of you," she greeted, shaking her head with a thankful smile as she ran her hands through her hair.
"I figured you could use it. Not every day you travel," Kura shrugged.
The smell of food roused Mal from his slumber and he stumbled out of his room toward it, groping almost blindly for a chair and collapsing into it with a yawn.
"Thanks," he mumbled, not really sure who he was addressing. Whoever had made breakfast, he supposed. With a quiet groan he let his head thump onto the table next to a cup of tea. "Wake me when we're leaving."
He could really use a change of clothes, he noted as he actually caught a whiff of his own shirt. A dip int he lake really hadn't been enough of a bath, and he didn't have anything with him except the clothes he'd been wearing when Penny summoned him.
Probably a good thing they'd be visiting his home then.
She slowly picked at her breakfast and shook her head for how unusual he was. "You should eat while you can, we should go soon. Sooner we leave the sooner we can get back," she reminded him. Privately, she was also excited for the prospect of flying yet again, their secret something she'd still managed to keep from Kura.
"'m eatin', 'm eatin'," he mumbled, mindlessly shoveling in a few mouthfuls of food. That woke him up a bit, and he sipped at the tea.
After a few minutes of waking himself the rest of the way up, he stood and stretched with a sigh, feeling much better. "Sorry," he said sheepishly to the two women. "I'm a bit of a bear in the morning."
He held out his hand to Penny with a grin. "C'mon then, let's get going, shall we?"
"That's quite alright," Kura dismissed, entirely amused with their guest as she became more familiar with his morning habits.
Penny glanced to Kura as she finished with her own breakfast, relieved for the nod of continued approval it earned her. "Yeah, we should go," she agreed, taking his hand and standing quickly. Checking her pocket, she ensured the feather was still where she'd left it. Wouldn't do to meet his father without the object of her frustration in hand.
"Please take care of Penny," Kura bid him, glancing to her student briefly with a chuckle. "And you don't cause him any more trouble." Penny only glared at her playfully.
"With my life," Mal promised sincerely. Smiling, he took Penny's hand and gave her a quick wink. "Let's get going then. Have everything you need?"
"Yeah, I think so." She patted her pocket with a smile and nodded at the door. Tugging on his hand a bit she headed out the door, excited for flying again more than anything but trying not to show it too much while still being within earshot of the house.
Mal chuckled as he pulled Penny with him down the hill. "Eager, huh?" he teased lightly when he let go of her, taking a few steps away so he had space to change.
Penny blushed and nodded, unable to hide her smile as she waited at a distance and bounced on her heels. "How could I not be? It's so much fun," she praised fondly.
"Is it just...old and normal to you by now?" she guessed.
He grinned at her and shook his head. "Never," he said honestly. "It'll never be boring." With a rush of heat he took his bird form and crouched down so she could climb on.
Penny couldn't help the grin of pure delight to watch him change again. She took a moment to run her hand along his wing before climbing onto his back again. "Is it fast today? Or slow?" she wondered curiously as she settled her arms around his neck.
"Well, I'd like to get there quickly," he said, twisting his head to look at her. "But if you'd prefer to take it easy I certainly don't mind doing so."
"Then go fast," she urged him, trying to hide her enthusiasm. It would be good for them both, though, if she enjoyed the ride and he could use the time saved to spend at his home.
Mal chuckled. "As you wish. Hold on." And with that he rocketed into the air, bringing them just high enough that Penny would need the warmth of his feathers to stay comfortable before giving a massive beat of his wings to send the landscape speeding dizzyingly by below them.
"Fast enough for you?" he called back over the wind.
It still wasn't enough of a warning to keep her firmly grounded on his back as they ascended, but she clung to him tightly once they were high in the air. "I think so!" she called over the wind, laughing in delight. The warmth of his feathers was appreciated, though, as the chill and swirling of air around them was enough to have her shivering otherwise.
"Tell me if it gets too cold for you," Mal said as he banked away from the sun, though he doubted it would. When he'd flown with his cousin in his human form, she'd taken them much higher than this and he'd been perfectly comfortable.
The cottage where he'd grown up was barely an hour's flight by air, and soon enough he was tilting into a shallow dive. "See that little curl of smoke? That's where we're headed."
Penny nodded against him but she was perfectly comfortable where she was. She watched the land zooming by beneath them in awe, absolutely amazed that he was capable of such a thing and maintaining it for what seemed to be quite a long time.
When he spoke up again she tilted her head to look out at the cottage that grew larger and larger on their descent. The smoke was finally visible to her and she nodded excitedly and clutched him close. Somehow she didn't want it to be over, but she knew it had to if they were to get anything worthwhile accomplished by seeing this Adrian.
"It's a cute little place," she giggled, noting it was certainly smaller than Kura's home but not nearly as small as she'd thought with the way he'd talked about it before.
He chuckled, coming in to land in a clearing a little ways in front of the cottage. A clearing he'd made: one could still make out the scorch marks around the edges of, and it was easy to see that the plants growing there were quite new.
"It's home," he said with a shrug, extending a wing for her to dismount.
She dismounted to slightly wobbly legs and turned this way and that to look around the clearing. It seemed quite off and discolored but she didn't want to comment on it. "Thank you," she said, looking to him with a genuine smile. "That was much faster than walking would have been. And better, anyway. You think he's home, then?" The smoke was probably an obvious enough sign but she knew some people always kept a fire going no matter if anyone was home or not.
He nodded as he shifted back to human form, stretching his arms and back as his body adjusted to the switch after so long spent as a firebird. "Yeah, probably. If he's not, I can get in. Come on." He offered his head with a smile and nodded in the direction of the cottage.
Penny hummed her agreement and took his hand easily enough to walk with him. It felt a little strange to be home one moment and then in an entirely unknown place after such a short amount of time. The Riverlands were quite different from the hills of her home province and everything just seemed different despite the cottage they were headed to being recognizable enough as a human dwelling. At least she was warned, but she felt a little bad thinking it was probably a similar feeling Mal had had when he'd been dumped into Kura's home.
Once the cottage came into view, Mal picked up his pace and hurried to the door, knocking twice and unconsciously tugging Penny closer to his side. He waited a moment, then knocked again, impatient.
He hadn't been home in months, and now, actually seeing it, he realized how much he'd missed the place. And, of course, mostly-
"Alright, alright, I'm coming!" Adrian grumbled as the door swung open, spectacles slightly askew and robes smelling distinctly of herbs and magic. "What's the blooming hurry-" He stopped talking, eyes widening.
Then a grin split his face and he grabbed Mal's shoulders, pulling him into a tight hug and slapping him on the back. "Gods be damned, boy, where the hell have you been and why's it taken you so long to visit?!"
Mal laughed, hugging him back. "Missed you too, Da," he said, smiling widely and unable to wipe the expression away. He pulled back after a moment and put a hand on Penny's shoulder. "I've brought a guest."
Adrian's eyebrow went up, a habit his son seemed to have picked up. "Have you now," he murmured, looking between them meaningfully. "And who might you be, young lady?"
Penny had taken a step back once the door had swung open and the man she could only assume to be Adrian was gathering Mal up for hug. She thought their reunion quite sweet and felt a little guilty to be watching such a thing between father and son. It was over soon enough, though, and she flashed a suddenly very timid smile. How was she to explain the mess she'd gotten his son into?
"Penelope Halbrooke, sir," she greeted, bowing her head respectfully before looking to Mal with a knowing yet nervous smile. "I'm afraid I've made a right mess of your son's life."
Adrian's eyes widened further and he groaned, looking at his adopted son and muttering, "Tell me you didn't, Mal."
The phoenix blinked, confused. "I didn't what-?"
Ignoring him, the older man looked to Penny and asked bluntly, "How far along are you?"
Mal's eyes widened and he choked, spluttering out an indignant, "Da!" between coughs while his face went very, very red.
Penny looked between them in confusion, not understanding the question at first until she saw the way it left Mal so horribly flustered. Her own cheeks turned bright red and she shook her head vigorously as she took a step closer and waving her hands in a desperate gesture that he had it all wrong. Of course this was the first impression she would have with the man who might be able to fix what she had done.
"No, no! No! Nothing like that, I swear," Penny tried to assure him, although she wasn't confident she looked all that convincing being all bright-faced and panicked.
"I'm not- We didn't- It's nothing like that," she repeated hurriedly, laughing nervously even as she glanced at Mal for help.
"Oh?" Adrian arched his eyebrow again, innocently surprised. "Really? I apologize for my assumption then." He shrugged. "You're a very pretty girl- just Malcolm's type, really. So I- well, anyway. Doesn't matter." He stood aside and gestured for them to come in with a bright smile. "Would you like to explain what this is all about then?"
Still red in the face and apparently mute, Mal stomped past him into the cottage, glowering with small, agitated sparks starting to play through his hair.
Her eyes snapped to Adrian again, widening and staring dumbly even as Mal rushed past. She was beginning to wonder if all his "worrying" over her hadn't been entirely innocent after all or if his father was just teasing him, and quite mercilessly at that.
"Uh, sure, it's just- I don't exactly know, you see," she began, smiling sheepishly as she stepped inside at last. "My teacher, Kura, says I managed a...binding spell of sorts." Penny reached into her pocket to retrieve the feather to show him. "When I found this I thought it was a mask or illusion or something, I'd never seen anything like it before. I tried to break that, but... I summoned Mal instead."
His father's eyes widened and he looked between the feather and Mal. "So you know what he is, then," he said to Penny, eyes hardening a bit.
"Da." Mal touched his arm reassuringly. "It's alright, really. She's a good girl, she just made a mistake."
Adrian sighed, rubbing a hand down his face, then held out his hand with a rather forced smile. "May I see the feather, please?"
Penny chewed at her lip nervously. Now that it was out in the open he didn't seem too happy. Nodding, she held it out in her open palm for him to take. She wasn't worried about anyone else having it really now that they had discovered the connection seemed to be tethering them together not to the feather.
"Is it a special feather?" she wondered aloud, curious if its origin might have had something to do with it all.
"That's what I'm going to find out," Adrian muttered, taking the feather from her and frowning at it. Waving a hand at them distractedly, he said, "Mal can show you around, make yourselves at home." He drifted back toward his workroom.
Mal shook his head, giving Penny an apologetic look. "Sorry about him. He means well, really."
She watched Adrian go and sighed a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Glancing to Mal sheepishly she nodded and moved to step closer to him. "It's alright, I just feel awful for giving such a bad first impression," she admitted.
He huffed, shooting a glare in the direction his adoptive father had gone. "I rather think that was more a bad impression of me than of you," he muttered sullenly. "Gods, you'd think I was some kind of dog with the way he was-"
Flushing, his voice cut off and he cleared his throat. "I mean, ahem. Not- not that you aren't pretty of course, I just wouldn't have- Er..." Wow. There was really no way out of this, was there? Good job, Mal, way to dig a hole.
Penny smiled knowingly, reaching out to brush a hand to his arm in a gesture of understanding so he might stop his rambling. Of course it wasn't good for him either, but she already felt pretty foolish and silly to have to approach his father for help.
"It's alright, Mal," she told him with a merciful smile and shrug. "What you do on your own is none of my concern."
If anything that just made him blush harder. "But I'm not a- I mean I don't really..." He didn't actually know how to finish that protest. He wasn't exactly what one would call "innocent", but he wasn't a cad either!
"Let's just... Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat," he mumbled, making his way toward the small kitchen.
She wasn't exactly hungry, their breakfast only being a few hours behind them at that point, but she humored him for his sake so he might have something to do. "Alright," she mumbled, following him easily enough. Why he seemed so flustered by the implication was still quite beyond her. If it wasn't true why would he be so embarrassed? And if it was? Well, that was none of her business anyway.
"Very homey," she admired quietly, her eyes wandering as she followed him.
He smiled a bit, eyes warming as he looked around his home. "I've always thought so," he said lightly, starting to rummage around in the cabinets in search of food.
"Da really does mean well, he's just...protective of me," he muttered after a moment, glancing at her over his shoulder. With a shrug, he grumbled, "It's ridiculous- I'm a grown ass man, I can take care of myself- but there it is."
Penny chuckled, stepping up to stand behind him for a moment before moving away to be at his side instead, curious about what he was doing. "I'm sure he knows that." She smiled and shook her head gently, a little amused that it might be such a bad thing to have someone who cared so much.
"Give him a little credit. You don't seem to come here often. He probably just misses you," she pointed out, teasing, "Probably has to get all his feelings out while you are here."
"Yeah, I guess." He shook his head with a soft chuckle and glanced down at her. "Da never has much in the house- how do you feel about some bread and cheese?"
"That's perfectly fine, just something to munch on," she mused, turning to look at the rest of the kitchen behind them. "Can I just...sit anywhere?"
"Uh, sure. Here." He hurried to pull out a chair for her at the small, round table and set some food in front of her. Smiling crookedly, he leaned against the table and broke off a piece of the bread for himself.
"Thanks for doing this, Penny," he said quietly. "Really. You were right before- I'm not here much. Not as much as I should be."
The gesture was surprising but she took a seat with a grateful smile and took a piece of cheese for herself to nibble on. Looking up at him to hear what he had to say, though, she nodded before glancing out beyond the kitchen.
"I didn't mind," she reminded him. "Still don't. At least some good came of this after all, right?" She laughed a bit under her breath and shook her head.
Penny reached for a bit of bread as well and gestured at the table. "Sit with me? If it's going to be a little while why don't you tell me how he found you? Or was it more of a you found him sort of thing?"
Mal grinned and took the other chair, chewing his bread thoughtfully before he answered. "He found me. Told me I was wandering the Thunderblacks as a toddler and he was there doing research. found out later he actually stumbled across an abandoned nest and an unhatched egg."
He gave her a crooked smile. "He thought I was a dragon, at first. Took me home, didn't want to leave the egg there. Once I hatched though, he sort of panicked. My kind are rare, and he didn't know how to teach me to control my power." Shrugging, he gestured to himself with one hand. "So he did this. Enchanted me into my human avatar. It was only a couple months ago I learned I wasn't human."
Penny paused to just stare at him for a moment, waiting for him to take it back and say it was a joke. When he didn't her eyes widened slightly at the realization of this new bit of information he was telling her. "An egg? You- You hatched out of an egg?" She wasn't really sure what she'd expected of a phoenix before, but certainly not that.
Staring slack-jawed in awe she finally shook her head and snapped her lips shut to flush brightly and look down at the table instead. Not polite, she reminded herself.
"So you- Do you prefer one form over the other?" she asked.
He couldn't help laughing at her reaction, eyes twinkling with amusement. "Yeah, I did. I am a bird, remember?"
Considering her question, he tilted his head from side to side for a few moments. "Honestly, I don't really know," he admitted eventually. "Maybe if I'd spent most of my life as a phoenix I'd feel differently, but they both feel like- well, like me."
"That makes sense," she sighed, smiling some and shaking her head again in amazement. "Very incredible, but it makes sense."
It left her curious, though. What had happened that he'd been abandoned? To her knowledge the Thunderblacks was a fairly harsh environment, though she'd never been there herself to see it. Still, it didn't seem an ideal place to leave much of anything let alone an egg.
"And this is home now? You aren't curious to go back to that place?"
His face fell slightly and he looked away. "I...can't say I'm not curious," he murmured. "I've just never really had the chance to go back."
And wouldn't, if they couldn't get this binding off.
She noticed his odd look and felt a bit bad for asking, uncertain why he seemed crestfallen over it. "I see," she said softly.
Returning to the food before her Penny nibbled a bit more in silence, casting the occasional glance to what else she could see of the house from her vantage. "Could you, um, show me the rest of the place?"
"Yeah, of course." Shaking himself, Mal stood and offered his hand with a smile. "There's not much to it, but it's home," he said with a little shrug. "Come on. I'll show you everywhere but Da's workroom. He doesn't like to be interrupted." Not to mention disturbing magic at work could be dangerous.
Penny nodded, finishing her food and taking his hand easily enough to rise from her seat. "As long as he's there maybe there's hope for us yet," she teased, nudging his arm lightly with her own.
Mal chuckled a bit and laced his fingers through hers without thinking, tugging her out of the kitchen and back into the main room of the cottage. "Well, this is really where we- just Da now, I guess- spend the most time. That's his workroom." He pointed to a door in the left hand wall. "And over here..." He led her through a door in the opposite wall into a small hallway with a door on either side. "Are the bedrooms."
Glancing around, it struck him for the first time how small the place really was and he shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. "I told you it's not much," he said with a quiet laugh.
She followed along, taking in the look of the place with a soft smile. Peeking down the hall she hummed and cast him a playful look. "Not going to show me your room, then?" she guessed.
He hadn't even thought to. "Oh! Well, I can, sure. Here." He pushed the door open to reveal the small, modest room: bed, dresser, a tiny desk. Shrugging, he muttered, "It's not much, but it's... Well, it's not much."
He chuckled and moved into the room, glancing around. "Haven't been here in months. Gods, it's dusty."
She looked around curiously, taking it all in before turning to him with a shrug. "Still something different to me," she pointed out.
"Do you think we should just...wait? For him to be finished? Or was there anywhere else you wanted to go while you were home? Not going to keep you cooped up here if you don't want to be," she offered with a shy smile.
He considered it. "Well, there's really not much around here honestly," he said with a chuckle. "I mean, we could take a quick walk through the woods-"
Adrian's voice calling, "Mal? Penny? Where've you kids gone to?" interrupted him.
Smiling wryly, he muttered, "I guess that's our cue. C'mon." He made his way back out into the main room.
Her head snapped to attention at the sound of her preferred nickname, cheeks flushing slightly at the realization that Adrian had adopted it without being told about it at all. It really did suit her much better, as much as she admired her birth name.
Nodding and following after him, Penny's eyes locked on Adrian with an expectant twinkle, her hands folding behind herself as she tried to keep herself from asking him about the feather and if he'd found anything. Surely if he'd discovered something he would tell them, right?
"Why don't you take a seat?" Adrian offered when they entered the room, gesturing to the two, mismatched armchairs by the fire.
Mal frowned a bit- well that wasn't a good sign- and took one. "Da?" he said warily, eyes flicking from his father to Penny. "What'd you find out?"
Instead of answering his adopted father turned to th hearth and set about stoking a fire. He was taking so long at it that eventually Mal gave a little growl of frustration and flicked his fingers in that direction, igniting a small blaze.
Recoiling in surprise, Adrian shot a glare at him, then gave Penny a long- suffering look. "I hope he hasn't been this much of a handful for you," he muttered.
Perhaps it was just something surprising, something they needed to sit down for. Not necessarily bad news, right?
Penny took a seat in the remaining chair and watched Adrian with rapt attention, practically perched on the edge of her seat. The sudden spark that had most certainly not been his own doing gave her a bit of a start, but she giggled and shook her head in answer.
"He's been an excellent guest," she assured him, fussing with her lip slightly. She figured she probably shouldn't mention that that included seemingly unlimited flight, though that definitely swayed her opinion of him.
"Hrmph." Adrian gave his son a disbelieving look, then sighed and straightened up. "You can have this back," he said to Penny, holding the feather out to her.
He ran his hands through his hair- a habit Mal had picked up from him- and looked between the two of them. "You've already figured out that feather only served as the catalyst, yes? Mal is now bound to you, Penny- forgive me, do you prefer Penelope? Anyway, the feather no longer holds sway over either of you, it just served as a beacon for the summoning."
Mal nodded. "Yeah, we figured that part out, mostly." He narrowed his eyes. "Da, what's got you so twitchy?"
His father sighed and leaned back against the wall beside the hearth. "That feather came from one of your parents, Mal. I think your mother." He gave a helpless little shrug. "Other than that, I haven't figured out anything useful. I'm sorry."
His heart sank. "Great," he grumbled, dropping his had into his hands. "So we're still stuck."
Penny nodded, taking the feather and holding it gently on her lap as she listened. It was good to have more confirmation about Mal's theory, but the lack of any new information that might have been helpful to them was disheartening.
She cast a sad look at Mal, feeling quite guilty that she was the source of his troubles. Looking to Adrian, though, she wasn't willing to give up so easily when Mal had claimed him a phoenix expert before. "Do you know of any magic that's...particularly effective on him?" she asked. "Or anything that wouldn't affect him at all? Truthfully I'm still trying to figure out what happened."
He pursed his lips, apparently thinking. "I could probably tell you more if you would allow me to run some tests on the two of you," he said after a long moment. "But, honestly...I don't see there being a simply fix for this. I didn't even know something like this was possible, at least in the way you seem to have managed it."
Mal glanced over at Penny, hating to ask but not seeing many other options. "Do you mind? Any more information could be helpful."
"Tests," she repeated thoughtfully, frowning some as she looked between them before letting her gaze fall to the feather in her hand. Kura had seemed to know something about her magic just by looking at it, certainly more than she was letting on. If she wasn't willing to give up the information herself, though, she didn't see the harm in learning as much as they could. It was what they were after, after all.
"It's... Nothing's going to hurt, right?" she asked, lifting her eyes to his father, entirely ignorant to whatever it was he had in mind. Then, realizing that that didn't quite matter for their cause she added, "I suppose that's alright. We can try."
Adrian's eyes widened behind his glasses and he waved his hands quickly. "No no no, of course not! Nothing that will be too strenuous for you, I assure you," he said with a quick smile.
Standing, Mal rubbed the back of his neck and shrugged. "Don't see why we shouldn't try, then," he murmured. Nodding toward the workroom door, he held his hand out to Penny to help her up.
"Just give me a few moments to gather the proper supplies," Adrian said and hurried away, muttering to himself about substituting ingredients.
Well that was a relief. Penny relaxed considerably and took Mal's hand, tilting her head to watch Adrian flee before she finally breathed a shaky breath. Smiling nervously she placed the feather back in her pocket. At this point it was just something that was mildly comforting even though the feather was essentially useless to their goal now. "Do you know what he's up to?" she wondered, curious what might be in store for them as she knew nothing about his adoptive father besides what little skill he'd revealed to her already.
Mal snorted. "Not really. I usually don't," he muttered with a wry, crooked grin in her direction. He gave her hand a small squeeze, an unconscious gesture of comfort. "I'm sure it'll be fine though, he knows what he's doing.
Moving toward the door to the workroom, he paused and let his head slide up her arm to her back, gently rubbing small circles between her shoulder blades. "Thanks for doing this," he murmured, flashing a small, grateful smile. "I know you didn't want any of this to happen either- I'm grateful you're doing so much to help me fix it."
"Alright then." Penny just shook her head in amusement, her hand responding to the pressure with a small squeeze of her own. At least she had someone to share in the cluelessness together.
When he stopped, though, she lifted her head to look up at him, surprised once again for the very familiar and comforting hand at her back. She made no move to remove it, though. Her eyes crinkled slightly in a genuine smile before she ducked her head again to hide her warm cheeks. He really had been too nice to her about the whole thing, she thought.
"You don't have to thank me," she reminded him. "It's the right thing to do. I don't want to be remembered as a lazy monster once this is over."
He chuckled, then spontaneously leaned forward to press a kiss to her cheek. "Believe me, Pretty Penny, that's not going to happen," he assured her with a wink.
"Ahem." Adrian's appearance in the doorway made him step sharply away from her, his hand dropping to his side. Arching an eyebrow, his father said, "If you two are ready then? Come on, let's get this done quickly."
Cheeks feeling a little warm, Mal hurried after him into the workroom, where the sickly sweet scent of a potion immediately hit his nose and made him sneeze. "Alright." He sneezed again. "What do we do?"
"Hold out your hands, then hold still," Adrian ordered, dipping a finger into the pot that Mal assumed contained the potion he'd smelled.
Penny barely stifled a giggle at Mal's expense, amused at his reaction to being "caught" by his father. She followed them inside easily enough, though, eyes widening at the strong scent that washed over her and didn't seem to leave as it swirled around her head.
Nodding for Adrian's instructions she obeyed without a second thought. "What is that? What are you testing for?" she asked skeptically.
"I'm trying to figure out what kind of magic is binding you together," Adrian answered distractedly, drawing some sort of symbol on her open palms with the potion, then repeated the procedure on Mal. "Think of it as...identifying the type of knots in a ball of string. Only in this case the string is magic. And the knots are you."
Mal snorted, but held still when his father dipped a finger in the potion again and drew another symbol, this time on their foreheads. "Wonderful. I've always wanted to be a knot."
Adrian thumped him lightly on the back of the head and he gave a sharp cry of protest, glaring at him. "You and your mouth, boy," the mage grumbled, shaking his head.
"I'm not a boy," Mal replied in a petulant mutter, conveniently ignoring how immature the protest made him sound.
Penny truly laughed this time, struggling to remain still as she'd been told to. "That makes sense, sir, thank you." They would have to figure it out eventually, of course. Better to be told than to waste time struggling to figure that out on their own.
"And you're sure this will work?" she asked, not at all meaning it as a challenge. She was willing to trust Adrian's abilities much more than her own, but she couldn't help but be skeptical as she'd never seen such a ritual being performed before.
"Should do," he replied cheerfully, stepping back and wiping his hand off with a small cloth kept handy for just such instances. "Alright. Now the two of you hold very still. this won't hurt but it may feel...odd."
Before he could ask for clarification on that, Mal felt a strange tingle start in the base of his spine as his father began to chant softly under his breath. The tingle spread quickly, growing into an almost oddly pleasant burning sensation that seemed to sweep along his bones.
He gasped and gritted his teeth, arms shaking with the effort it took to remain still, and he resisted the urge to reach out and assure Penny, certain that she'd be far more startled by the feeling than he was.
Odd? She was a little uncertain about what he meant by that but it wasn't long until a strange pulling sensation started up along her back, quickly spreading through her arms and neck. Once a warm tingling started at the base of her head it flashed down again to fully engulf her. It sparked an airiness that would have come from being suspended somehow, and yet her feet remained firmly upon the floor. Not painful, of course, but definitely more than a little uncomfortable.
A soft whimper escaped her as Adrian chanted, but Penny tried to stay strong and focused. She breathed shallow breaths to keep calm and glanced to Mal with a bit of guilt to see him shaking. Maybe it was painful for him. If not he seemed entirely uncomfortable with what was happening to him. She wondered if they shared the same discomforts, but she kept quiet to not disturb his father's ritual.
Suddenly Adrian's voice cut off and he clapped his hands together sharply. With a sigh of relief, Mal felt the strange burning and tingling fade and he let himself relax.
Immediately he looked to Penny, asking quietly but urgently, "Are you alright?"
Just before Adrian had stopped she thought she'd felt a ghostly flutter of wings upon her back and brushing along her shoulders and cheeks. Instead of answering Mal right away she snapped her head to look over her shoulder at her back accusingly, but nothing was there.
Raising her hand slowly she brushed fingertips along the spot on her cheek that suddenly felt so bare with a distracted nod. Suddenly her eyes focused back on him, though, and she furrowed her brow in concern. "Are you?"
He let out a sharp breath and gave her a small, relieved smile. "I'm fine, don't worry about me." His hand moved to the small of her back quite without his permission and he looked at his father questioningly. "Did it work? What did you find out?"
Adrian didn't answer him, instead looking at Penny. "Tell me, lass," he said kindly. "Do you have a particular elemental affinity that you've noticed in your studies?"
Elemental affinity? She'd certainly read about such things but didn't think she'd gained any noteworthy skill in anything quite yet. "I don't think so, I'm not quite that advanced yet," she answered bashfully, a little embarrassed to be admitting so to an obviously skilled mage.
Almost automatically she shuffled a little closer to Mal, the hand at her back comforting as she calmed her nerves. She was still trying to process what had happened, if anything had truly happened at all. "Did something...stand out to you?" she wondered.
"Well...yes. A little." Adrian gave her kind look. "It's more difficult to get a read on someone who doesn't quite understand their own powers yet- gods, if I'd tried this with Mal a year ago it would have been pointless."
Mal glared at him, slipping his hand around Penny's waist to gently tug her against his side. "Can you juat get to the point?"
"Very well." His father spread his hands. "I am not positive, but I believe your Penny here has an air affinity." He paused a moment, then sighed and said, "Which means this binding is going to be harder to break than if she was another phoenix herself."
Penny chewed her lip in thought, her mind running wildly as she tried to process what it was he was telling her. "And why is that?" she asked nervously, entirely focused on the fact that he'd mentioned it would be difficult instead of the surprise to find out something new about herself.
Adrian sighed again. "Because fire needs air as much as you do," he said softly, gently. "As much as it needs wood to burn, a fire needs air. Which means the- the knots tying you together are rather complicated. Even if we managed to undo them, if we pulled the wrong thread, as it were..." His eyes drifted to Mal, lips thinning into a tight line.
"The fire would be cut off from the air completely. It would go out."
The phoenix swallowed audibly.
Penny frowned at that, her expression quite troubled as she assumed that simply meant what she'd done might kill Mal. It was all just a difficult thing to process and frankly she was doing a horrible job of it.
"Thank you," she finally spoke, her voice a little shaky as she fought the emotions welling up inside her chest. It was such a hopeless feeling, she realized, to know that she might have doomed him to any sort of permanent harm with her magic.
The familiar wateriness and sting of tears welled up and she shook her head firmly, turning away slightly so they might not see. "I just- I'm sorry, I need a moment," she apologized, turning sharply to flee from the workroom as she hurriedly wiped her hands upon her skirts and lifted her arm to rub the remaining potion markings from her forehead with her sleeve.
She went to the front door automatically but couldn't bring herself to open it. Instead she just leaned her head against the wall beside it as she finally let warm tears flow.
It was so ridiculous. He was the one dragged into this mess and yet she was the one breaking down. She assumed it was guilt. More than that, though, was a true heartache of grief.
Mal simply stood for a moment, frozen, and watched her go. His eyes flicked to Adrian and he croaked out a little helplessly, waving a hand in Penny's direction, "I...I have to-"
His father simply nodded at the door to the workroom. "Go after her then."
Without another word he turned and left, forgetting about the remnants of potion on his palms and forehead. It was easy to find the young mage, and when he saw her shoulders shaking with obvious sobs he paused, not sure what to do.
Then, letting out a sharp breath, he cross the room to stand behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle in a gentle hug, letting his head fall forward to rest on one of her shoulders.
"It's okay," he whispered. "Don't cry. Please don't cry, Penny. It's gonna be okay."
The sudden pressure and presence around her only made her feel shame at first to be found so easily, not that she had really been trying to hide. She also thought he shouldn't have been comforting her, it should have been the other way around.
Slumping slightly against the wall she could only shake her head at first and wipe at her face to try to calm herself down, but the tears just kept flowing. "It's not. It's not okay," she protested, a grumble of frustration escaping her. She lifted her free hand to rest on his arms, uncertain if she was going to try pushing him away when he obviously seemed concerned over her.
"I thought this would be so simple," she complained, desperately needing to vent her frustrations though he certainly didn't deserve to have to hear them. "So simple because of me. I've never done anything this horrible. Ever. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"Hey." Mal took her waist and turned her around, lifting one hand up to the side of her face. "This isn't your fault," he said quietly, meeting her eyes. "Do you hear me? It was a mistake, this isn't your fault."
For some reason it was so much easier to deal with this whole mess if he focused on comforting her instead of the actual problem.
Penny allowed herself to be turned around but remained stubborn as she tried in vain to dry her eyes. "But it is my fault. If I'd just...stuck to what I was supposed to be doing none of this would have ever happened. I shouldn't have messed with the feather, I shouldn't have tried to do anything with it."
She breathed a shaky sigh and let her hands drop in frustration. She'd already thoroughly embarrassed herself so it really didn't matter if he saw, did it? "I should have just stuck to my lessons."
"Look." Mal let out a sharp breath. "Da didn't say it'll be impossible to undo this, just that it's gonna be difficult." Extremely difficult, but she didn't need to hear that.
"So...we've just gotta keep trying." He forced a small smile, running his thumb over her cheek to brush away a few stray tears. "It's gonna be okay, you'll see." His heart clenched and he pulled her into a real hug, one hand moving to stroke through her hair.
"Just- please don't cry, Penny." For some reason that was very important.
He was right. She just needed for focus on the silver lining despite her lack of self confidence. It would be alright. Something had to give eventually, and she just needed to think about that.
"Okay," she finally breathed, wrapping her own arms around him for a fierce and desperate hug she hadn't realized she'd needed so much. Biting her lip she shook her head against him slightly.
"I just don't want to hurt you. Or worse. You don't deserve that," she muttered. She could barely call them friends outside of the circumstances that had flung them together, but she knew that much at least. He'd been a decent, kind, and caring man in the time that she'd known him. A bit of cheekiness didn't mean he deserved anything ill to befall him for her mess.
His lips twitched up on one side and he rubbed a hand soothing down her back a few times. "Hey, I know I'm pretty, but that doesn't mean I'm not tough," he joked. "I'll be fine, don't worry."
Well...he hoped.
"We'll figure something out," he said a little quieter, tone sobering slightly. "Don't worry, Penny, everything is gonna be fine."
She shoved his shoulder gently, unable to hide a smile for his teasing. "Thank you, Mal, really. I don't know how yet but I want to fix this for you," she promised.
Realizing how she was clinging to him, though, she cleared her throat and tried to pull away again to clean herself up a bit better. "Gods I need to apologize to your father," she laughed sadly. "Storming out like that when he's only trying to help us."
"Oh, don't worry about Da," Mal started to assure her. "He's a bit crotchety, but he's hardly going to-"
"To what, exactly?"
He winced and turned to face his father with a quickly forced smile, letting Penny push away from the hug but keeping one arm loosely around her waist. "To blame her for getting a little emotional," he finished easily. Somehow he found himself pulling the young woman against his side a little protectively.
"Of course not," Adrian said, giving Penny a kind look. His eyes flicked to Mal and he added with a glare. "And don't think you're off the hook for the crotchety comment, young man."
He let out a sharp sigh, rolling his eyes and muttering petulantly, "I'm not a child."
"It still wasn't polite," she pointed out, though she smiled at Adrian with relief to see that he didn't seem upset with her. Easily leaning into Mal she glanced at the door to his workroom and asked, "Was that the only test, then? I'd love to know anything more, but... Well, thank you. You've already told me a lot more than I expected to find here."
She was still quite surprised to know that her magic seemed to manifest in air. It seemed so impossible after going to long without any hints about it before. She did ponder the idea that they might have been so subtle that she'd missed them, though. The sensation of wings had been so vivid, so close to reality that she'd thought they really had been there. It had still yet to occur to her that she was right at home in such a thing given her lineage. Not that she had told Mal about that.
"I can look through some old texts, see if I can find another test that might be useful," Adrian said with a shrug.
Looking between them, his lips twitched up on one side. "Mal, why don't you go be a proper host and set the table then? I think the both of you need a good hot meal."
Mal started to protest, not really wanting to leave Penny, then snapped his mouth shut and nodded with a muttered, "Alright." He let his arm tighten around the girl for a moment, then moved away toward the little kitchen.
"Why don't you and I take a moment to relax," Adrian said with a small smile to the young woman, nodding to the two chairs in front of the still cheerily crackling hearth.
Penny watched him go with a smile of thanks before looking to Adrian again, nodding in agreement to go sit down. "He doesn't need to do all that, you know. It seemed like he wanted this to be a quick visit and I don't want to prolong it any more than necessary," she admitted.
Adrian smiled at her. "Humor an old man," he said softly, eyes crinkling at the corners. Casting a glance in the direction Mal had gone, he sighed and admitted, "I know he probably planned just to stop by, but it's been too long since I've seen him. I'll take any excuse to keep him her a bit longer."
He glanced over at Penny and added kindly, "Of course, I understand you must have your own life to get back to. Just humor me and stay for supper, hm?"
"Of course, I'd be happy to. I just...didn't want you to feel as though I needed the kindness," she clarified, smiling softly for his consideration. Folding her hands on her lap Penny leaned back in the chair some to give the room around them a quick look. "Truthfully I'm just a student. My obligations were very few until a few days ago."
"So tell me again how this-" he gestured at her vaguely, then at the kitchen door- "all happened? I confess I'd like some more details."
The cottage was small enough that Mal could hear every word said as he set the table and moved rather aimlessly about the kitchen, looking for something else to do. It wasn't that he was avoiding Penny and his father, he just needed a few minutes to himself to think.
Of course he'd want to hear it again, she'd been so vague upon their first meeting. With a nod she gave it a few moments' thought to piece it together properly in her head again. "I- I was doing research for my studies and I found the feather between some pages." Penny shook her head in frustration, trying to remember exactly what she'd uttered to summon poor Mal but unable to recall the exact incantation. It had obviously been wrong either way.
"I thought it was too pretty to be real, thought it must have been a glamour of some sort to hide something. And...there was a spell Kura taught me a few years ago to break enchantments like that. I'm sure I didn't get it right, though, not at all," she laughed sadly, shaking her head. "When I said it -or what I thought was it- Mal was just...there. There was a light before and then he was just there." Penny gestured in front of herself at the fire to demonstrate the distance.
"And he hasn't been able to leave since. We thought he might have been bound to the feather so I let him take it, but he just couldn't go very far and kept coming back to me. I'm sorry, am I making sense? Have you ever seen something like that before? Maybe we could show you," she murmured thoughtfully.
"Hmm..." Adrian adjusted his spectacles and nodded in a considering kind of way. "I've heard of such binding spells before," he said slowly, "but never one that was accomplished in such a way. Now, when you say he can't go very far- have you measured an exact distance?"
Mal came out of the kitchen, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the wall. "No, we haven't," he answered. "I mean, obviously I was fine going in there. Seems to be a few yards, but we haven't really taken any measurements."
Her eyes widened slightly at the sound of his voice, not expecting that he would have been listening closely enough. Glancing over to him briefly Penny nodded in agreement. "It only happened the once, really. He hasn't really left my side since he found out," she teased. "Do you think distance is...meaningful at all? Or telling about the spell?"
"It might be," Adrian mused, looking between the two of them. A strange look that Mal couldn't really interpret entered his eyes for a moment, then was gone.
Smiling, the older mage stood and clapped his hands together. "Well. If you two don't object, perhaps we could do a few experiments with that after we eat?" He moved toward the kitchen.
Penny hadn't noticed anything odd being a stranger to him anyway, but she was happy enough to go along with his plans seeing as the first one had turned out relatively alright. "Don't see why not," she murmured, rising quickly and turning towards the kitchen. "What did you get for us?" she asked Mal.
"Get for-?" Oh. She thought he'd been making dinner. Chuckling, he shook his head and offered her his arm. "I'm a terrible cook, Penny," he told her with a quick grin. "Be glad I didn't get you anything."
Moving them into the kitchen, they found Adrian with a veritable feast set out on the small table, the afterglow of magic fading around the food. "This is why we don't keep much around the house," Mal said softly to the young woman. "Da prefers to magic up fancy dinners. Neither of us are much good at cooking."
She furrowed her brow in confusion, not understanding that they conjured their food until she saw it with her own eyes. Penny stared at the table in surprise before turning to smile at Adrian like he'd just shown her the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen, the young mage quite in awe. "That's- That's so amazing," she praised with flushed cheeks, laughing quietly, "And a brilliant idea for men without a cook.
"Is it, um, safe, then? Does it need to 'cool down' or anything like that before we eat?"
Adrian chuckled, taking a seat. "It's quite safe, I assure you. The hot foods will indeed be hot, but not enough to cause harm."
Mal, taking a seat of his own, screwed his face up at her. "What's that supposed to mean, men without a cook? I'll have you know I could cook if I wanted to- I've just never bothered to learn," he said with mock indignation.
Adrian snorted. "That and you overcook everything to the point of tastelessness," he muttered.
He shot his adoptive father a glare. "Not helping my case, Da."
Joining them at the table Penny just rolled her eyes at Mal's stubbornness about food. "Well you're clearly not very eager to cook," she teased, not actually blaming him for partaking in the hospitality of his hostesses between herself and Kura. "Maybe I could try teaching you a few things before you leave."
Reaching out carefully she set a few things on her plate and took a bite of each to test. Her eyes widened in surprise and she smiled broadly once she was done chewing. "Well this tastes like the real thing... Maybe I need to learn this. Work smarter, not harder."
Both men chuckled. "I'd be happy to teach you," Adrian told her with a smile. "It of course requires you have the necessary elements to create the food- can't create something out of nothing- but the spell itself-"
"Da," Mal laughed, cutting him off with a shake of his head. "How about no magical theory talk at the table, yeah? Besides, we're only here for a quick visit. We can't possibly do all the tests and lessons I'm sure you're now planning."
"Yes, yes, of course," Adrian said easily, settling back and tucking into his own food. "Forgive me, Penny. As I'm sure my son will love to point out, I tend to get a little overzealous."
Penny frowned at Mal, suddenly feeling as though he was cutting her off from a favorite story. "I don't mind, though," she insisted between bites. "I'm curious about a lot of things... We should come back soon." She nodded decisively. "For tests and...learning stuff."
Adrian brightened at the suggestion and Mal gave another laugh and a helpless sort of shrug. "Whatever you wish, milady," he said to Penny with a quick grin, tucking back into his food.
"Now," Adrian said, tapping his fork on the table, "is that one of his little annoying things, or are you actually nobility? Because it would be just like him to not tell me something like that."
Penny's eyes widened and she shook her head sharply, laughing quietly under her breath and elbowing Mal playfully. "Definitely a thing. My family is quite simple, I promise. Probably wouldn't be so eager to be away from me if he was tied to a crown instead, though," she teased.
"You wound me!" Mal protested, laying a hand to his heart dramatically. "What makes you think I require more than the company of a beautiful lady to hold my attention?" His eyes glinted at her, seeming almost to flare into gold flame for a moment.
Adrian snorted into a glass of water and muttered under his breath something that sounded suspiciously like, "And you wonder how I could assume she was pregnant..."
"Maybe that's the problem," she challenged, not missing the change in his eyes but trying not to goad him too much in front of his father.
"I'm only pretty, right? Pretty Penny," she whispered to tease his choice of wording with a quick wink before returning to her plate.
"I wouldn't say only pretty," Mal murmured with a small smile.But he was very aware of his father's presence and sat back after that, clearing his throat quietly.
"So." He glanced between Adrian and Penny. "We wanted to measure some things after we eat, yes?"
"How long your leash is," she deadpanned. "If you're willing to let us. Might be a little annoying if you go too far." She frowned slightly in thought for the odd way he'd been compelled to return to her before.
Finishing her meal in silence she set her plate aside with a grateful smile to Adrian. "That was delicious, thanks for 'making' dinner. Literally," she giggled.
"Of course." Adrian nodded and smiled at her. "The next time you decided to drop by for a visit, remind me to teach you the spell." His eyes flicked to Mal and softened just a bit. "Let me handle clean up. Why don't you and Penny go get some fresh air?"
"Oh. Uh- alright." Mal gave him an odd look, but stood and nodded. He moved toward the door, gesturing for Penny to follow with a quick, crooked smile and saying under his breath so his father wouldn't hear, "I'm going to get you later for the leash comment."
Penny mouthed a short "thank you" to Adrian before following Mal, happy to see that he was being so nice about their unexpected visit. It didn't seem like he had guests very often, but she didn't think she'd mind visiting him again at all especially if he could teach her things Kura either didn't know or didn't think were important enough for her at her "stage" of education.
"How's that? I'm sorry, but it's the truth," she laughed once they were outside.
With a playful little growl, Mal reached over and ruffled her hair, muttering, "Minx."
The sun was starting to set now. After tilting his head back a bit to just breathe in the fresh air for a moment, Mal turned to Penny and said, "Alright then. Want to go for a quick walk?" He offered his arm. "Not too far, don't want Da getting grouchy about these measurements. Just around the cottage a bit."
Grumbling for her mussed hair she quickly smoothed it back out and shot him a mock glare. The offer sounded nice, though. Not as nice as flying, but she was certain that would come again soon enough. "Walk sounds good," she agreed, though she didn't think it would be more than just a few minutes even at a leisurely pace for how small their home was.
Penny took his arm up easily enough, biting back a comment about them being attached at the hip that while certainly true probably wouldn't serve her very well in the end. "You seem really happy here," she commented with a kind smile, gesturing at the house with her free hand. "With him, I mean."
A bit taken aback by the comment, it took Mal a moment to respond as he started to lead her into the trees. "Yeah. I am," he said quietly, giving her a quick smile.
"It wasn't always that way though," he continued after a moment, not sure why he did. "Especially for the year or so before I learned what I was. I felt...trapped here, I guess. Da didn't want me to go off on my own until I'd learned to control my powers."
She gave a low hum of acknowledgment, truly having no idea how that felt but sympathizing with him anyway. "Why did he hide it from you?" Penny asked with a concerned frown. It seemed a little odd to hide a child's origins from them, especially when it concerned such powerful magic.
Mal frowned. "Honestly, I'm not really sure. I think he was trying to protect me- like I said before, there are plenty of people who would love to get their hands on a phoenix." He shrugged. "And I think he thought that if he kept it from me it would somehow be easier to get a handle on my powers."
It made sense, but it still made her skin crawl to think that anyone could be enslaved simply for being rare or exotic. "And did it not help?" she guessed, giving his arm a gentle squeeze. "How did you end up doing it?"
His frown deepened. "It...helped for a while." He glanced down at her and asked with a crooked smile, "Doing what? Figuring out what I was?"
"Getting 'control' of your power," she clarified. "Did...finding out what you were help with that or was it just something completely separate from magic?"
He considered that. "Knowing what I am...definitely helped," he said eventually, slowly. "But mostly it was- remember that cousin I mentioned before? Well, Da called her for some backup after I... Let's just say I messed up." He flinched slightly at the memory.
Shaking his head, Mal glanced at her with a quick smile. "She helped me out, coached me into getting over the hangups I had about using my magic."
She smiled kindly, happy that he was alright with sharing a little more about himself. "And now... I mean, how would you describe it? What does it feel like? To do it right, I mean." Penny flushed slightly, a little embarrassed for how curious she was.
He glanced at her. "That's an awful lot of questions, Pretty Pemny," he teased lightly, eyes glinting at her.
Another shrug and he looked away. "It depends, I guess. On how much power I'm using, on the form I'm in when I do. But usually...warm," he decided. "There's always heat, anything from a little glow to feeling like every inch of my skin is an inferno."
He cleared his throat; for some reason that felt like an oddly personal thing to share.
Her eyes widened to hear his explanation, jaw going a little slack as she tried to imagine what it felt like. She figured it wasn't pleasant, judging by the few burns she'd clumsily acquired in her life. "Does it hurt you?" she asked with concern.
Mal laughed, shaking his head. "No, it doesn't," he assured her with a small smile. "Fire is more than an affinity for my magic, Penny. It's part- a big part- of who I am."
"Oh." She found herself calming down considerably to hear that, the thought of him being in pain to be blessed with magic so disturbing in itself.
"Could you maybe...show me? Some other time, of course, but- Well, besides Kura's fires and what you did at the lake I don't think I've ever seen that kind of magic before."
"Yeah, sure," he said easily, shrugging. Glancing back in the direction of the cottage, he added wryly, "Maybe after we've got this mess behind us, hm? C'mon, we should start heading back before Da comes after us."
"Sure," she agreed easily enough, looking out at their home before giving his arm another squeeze and leaning in close as they circled back around towards it. "Thanks, Mal. Air was a good choice."
"Mm?" He glanced down at her, a little burst of warmth lighting up in his chest when she pressed closer. "How do you mean?"
"Well it's nice to be outside," she explained with a cheerful little smile. "And I like talking with you and walking with you, so... Thank you for listening to him, I guess?"
Mal chuckled. "Well, you're welcome then," he said, winking at her. He slowed his pace a bit as the cottage came into view, not quite wanting to reenter the world where they had to deal with the strange bond between them.
"Don't tell Da listening to him was a good idea though," he said lightly with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "I'll never hear the end of it."
Penny noticed how he slowed down and matched his pace easily enough. "What's for you to hear?" she teased, giggling softly and shaking her head at the thought. "He did something nice and I appreciate it. Why would he lord that over you?"
He gave her a dry look. "I'm not sure how your relationship is with your parents, but the last thing I want is for my father to know that I actually think he's right most of the time." He groaned dramatically at the thought.
"But it isn't you, it's me! You're not going to tell me I can't praise the nice man, are you?" Penny sighed in playful exasperation, shaking her head and nudging his side gently.
"Oh, I wouldn't dream to tell you what you can and can't do, Pretty Penny," Mal laughed, giving her a lopsided grin as they came up to the cottage door and he held it open for her.
"I have a feeling you'd make me severely regret even trying."
Penny shot him a playful glare for that, shaking her head as she released him and moved to walk past him to step back inside. "Um, Mister Denan?" she called softly, unsure if he preferred that to Adrian. "We're back! Did you find anything?" She winced at the unintentionally hopeful tone in her question.
Adrian was sitting in one of the armchairs, staring pensively into the fire. He didn't look up when they came in, which struck Mal as unusual, but he started slightly at Penny's voice. "Hm? Oh, sorry, dear, I'm afraid not," he said with an apologetic smile, standing.
His smile turning a little softer, he added, "And you can just call me Adrian, lass, if that makes you more comfortable." Looking between the two of them, he gave a sharp nod. "Right then. Shall we start on these tests?"
Her face fell slightly to hear it but she was determined to at least see through with the rest of what they could test while they were there. "Yes...Adrian," she tried instead, much preferring the informal name as she approached him. "Shall we just have him count paces, then, you think? Or did you have something else in mind?"
"Paces should do," Adrian said after a moment's pause. "Not a very accurate system of measurement, but since this is a rather unique case..." He shrugged. "I'd recommend we repeat this particular experiment several times. It's possible the distance you two can manage will fluctuate."
Mal nodded, shifting to stand a little closer to Penny. "You're the anchor, then," he said, giving her a crooked smile. "Why don't you just stand in the middle of the room and we'll go from there?"
It seemed like a good enough plan but she hoped their home was big enough to test it. They'd had no problems being in separate rooms at night even with her down the hall in the study, so she was skeptical that they might be able to truly test his limits indoors.
With an encouraging smile she reached out to give his forearm a light squeeze, her hand drifting down to brush fingers against his palm before she stepped away to try and find the exact center of the room. After a bit of shuffling here and there she finally looked between them and gave an affirmative little huff. "I think that's good, yeah?"
Trying to ignore the flash of a warm, fuzzy feeling her fingers on her palm seemed to ignite, Mal trailed after her and nodded. "Looks good to me."
Glancing at Adrian, he took the nod from his father as his cue and started stepping back one pace at a time, keeping count. It didn't take him long to reach the door, and he paused, looking between the two mages. "Still nothing. Should I keep going."
Adrian nodded and he took a step outside. "Do you feel anything? Anything at all?" the older man asked, looking at Penny.
Penny watched him go, a bit tense and anxious to see if what had happened the first time would come to pass again. As before, though, she felt nothing as he drew further and further away from her. Well, nothing that seemed out of the ordinary.
"A little nervous," she admitted, glancing to Adrian with a sheepish smile but unwilling to take her eyes off Mal for more than a moment. "But that didn't happen before, I promise. It was just entirely...nothing."
"Hmm..." Adrian's brow furrowed as he looked between them.
Shrugging, Mal turned and moved as if to walk away, still counting paces. He didn't get too far from the door when he found himself turning back around and walking up to the doorway before he blinked and stopped himself.
"That's what's been happening," he said dryly, folding his arms with a huff. "Twenty paces, by the way."
Her face fell a bit to see that their invisible tether still seemed firmly in place. Penny shook her head and gestured at the door the bedroom hallway. "What about down there? Might as well try the whole house."
Well, that had wanted to do a couple tests, not just the one. Shrugging, Mal walked down the hall, so focused on counting paces he almost bumped into the far wall-
Before he suddenly found himself turning on his heel. He managed to stop himself a moment after he turned this time though. "Seventeen paces," he muttered as he made his way back to Adrian and Penny.
"Hm." His father glanced between the two of them, remained silent for several long moments, then abruptly said, "Penny, would you mind trying to test this- tether, shall we say, from your end? Just pick a direction and walk."
Tilting her head in interest for the slight difference Penny was puzzled as to what might have been the cause for it. Agreeing with a distracted nod, her lips drew into a tight line as she judged the distance between them already and began slow steps away towards the door just a few at a time.
"I don't want to drag you," she admitted with a wince, watching constantly over her shoulder as she walked and felt no such compulsion to turn back towards them.
Mal gave her a reassuring smile. "You're not," he said easily, watching her move away. And took a step to follow.
He frowned. "Hang on, Penny." His eyes flicked to Adrian. "I didn't mean to do that."
"Intriguing." Adrian looked between them. "How many paces is that, Penny?"
She'd stopped immediately, a look of pure guilt there as she turned quickly to hurry back over to him. "I think...eight?" That seemed right as she recounted it out on her fingers.
Desperate eyes turned to Adrian instead, as if she expected him to have all the answers despite how little they'd been able to determine so far. "Is that bad?"
"Not bad. Well, no worse than anything else about this situation." He chuckled dryly. "Would you mind trying it again, perhaps in another direction? I have a theory, I'd like to test it."
Mal gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry about all this, Penny," he mumbled, shuffling his feet.
"It's no problem," she insisted, reaching again to brush his arm before she turned to move away. Counting her steps carefully she turned to look at him once she reached the front door and opened it to the outside. Taking a deep breath, she moved forward and kept counting with little glances to him after each.
By his count, she'd only taken two steps out the door before he started to follow after her and both he and Adrian called, "Stop?"
"How many that time?" his father asked, rubbing his nose just under his spectacles.
Looking down at the ground accusingly she nodded and then turned back to hurry inside again. "Twenty-three? But...maybe it's the same," she mused, eyes flicking down to study the one obvious difference between them. "His legs are longer."
Adrian sighed. "True. Which is why I rather wish we had a more specific measurement than paces, but..." He shrugged.
Mal bit his lip, brow furrowed in thought. "It's strange- with most bindings I'd say I could fight it, we could try to see how long I can resist the pull. But this..." He shook his head and shrugged helplessly. "I don't feel like there's anything to fight. One moment nothing, the next I'm trailing after her like a puppy." He gritted his teeth in frustration, running a hand through his hair.
Penny frowned in thought, looking around the cottage for anything else they might be able to try. "What if we lock you in a room? I could try walking away and then..." Well she certainly hoped magic couldn't compel him to break down the door or worse, but the young mage was curious about what could possibly separate them.
"Would you be willing to try that?"
The two men exchanged a glance, then shrugged almost in unison. "Worth a try," Mal said.
"Let's just be careful about it," Adrian added quickly.
Nodding, Mal moved down the hall to his old bedroom. Adrian beckoned for Penny to follow and trailed after him.
Following after them anxiously, Penny stopped to stand just beside the doorway. "Try to remember what you feel," she asked of him, lips drawn tightly in worry that it might not have been such a good idea. "See if it makes you think anything, see anything, hear. Just...anything unusual that isn't you."
He gave her a lopsided grin. "I've got it, don't worry. Now go on." He made a shooing motion at her, eyes glinting.
"If this starts to get uncomfortable, let me know immediately," Adrian said, waiting for Mal to nod before closing the door and murmuring a quick locking spell. Turning to Penny, he offered a slightly forced smile and nodded at her in turn. "Whenever you're ready, my dear."
Penny watched Adrian work his magic, fascinated and distracted enough that she needed the verbal reminder to move along. "Right," she mumbled, shaking her head and turning sharply to start moving away.
Counting her steps, though, she found that she moved slower with each, her heart slowly working up to pound desperately in her chest the higher she went and the closer she drew towards the front door.
Mal waited. And waited and waited. It was only a few seconds but it felt like an eternity. "Hey, Penny?" he called suddenly. "Could you keep count out loud? I'm dying over here, I have no idea what's going on."
So far he felt nothing. Well, he did inch a little closer to the door unconsciously, but that was it.
Despite having no one to see her Penny nodded and lifted a hand to nervously twist a few strands of hair together. "Alright," she called in answer, pausing to judge the distance between the hallway and herself.
Taking a deep breath she continued on towards the front door, this time counting aloud with every step and pausing for a moment after each. "Twenty-seven... Twenty-eight... Twenty-nine..."
At twenty-eight Mal found himself suddenly pressed against the door. "Da? I can't go any further, but I don't feel-"
Twenty-nine and there was a sharp tugging sensation in his gut. Thirty and he gave a cry of pain, doubling over. His vision began to fade around the edges.
"Penny, stop!" Adrian shouted, muttering the spell to unlock the door and throwing it open.
Mal appeared to have fainted, sprawled across the floor- breathing, but unconscious. Adrian knelt beside him, passing a hand from his forehead down to his chest as he magically checked for signs of injury.
The muffled sound of his cry had been enough to stop her, the young mage spinning around quickly to run back down the hall. "Sorry! I'm so sorry," she apologized breathlessly, not realizing that he'd passed out until she was hovering in the doorway.
Concern creased her forehead as she hurried to kneel beside him opposite his father. "What happened?" she asked worriedly.
"I'm not sure." Adrian's brow was furrowed in concern. "He seems perfectly healthy, he just- collapsed."
He hooked an arm under the young man's shoulders and propped him up, then glanced up at Penny. "Help me get him to the bed."
Collapsed? "That's not good," she muttered, biting her lip anxiously as she looked him over. He certainly seemed to be breathing but that didn't mean she hadn't done some yet to be seen damage.
Moving numbly at his request Penny clambered to her feet and gathered up Mal's legs as best as she could. Standing up to support him at a haphazard angle she looked to the bed just across the room, turning slightly to line them up better.
With some shuffling Adrian managed to get Mal mostly on the bed, then bent over him with concern, eyeing the way his chest rose and fell.
"His breathing's even," he muttered after a moment. "Nothing to indicate any physical trauma-"
The words were barely out of his mouth when Mal's eyes fluttered open and he looked between the two of them. "...What the hell just happened?"
She'd given his legs a bit of a shove here and there to situate him before leaning against the bed to stare at him with great concern. Her heart felt heavy, the young mage quite sad that she'd suggested something that had successfully caused something to happen to him.
As he came to, though, her eyes brightened slightly and she reached out a hand to set atop his own in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. "We don't know you just... Yelled and then there was nothing? You were on the floor," she explained, looking to Adrian for confirmation that he hadn't seen or heard any differently.
"What do you remember, Mal?"
Groaning, Mal pushed himself shakily up onto his elbows. "I don't..." He shook his head, clenching his eyes shut against a wave of dizziness. "Not much," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "You said twenty-nine paces, then there was this- this pulling, but I couldn't get any closer to you. Then it got so intense I guess I blacked out." He shrugged.
Adrain scowled, rubbing his chin in thought. "But you felt nothing before that? No warning?"
He shook his head. "No, I-" His eyes suddenly widened and he looked to Penny, flipping his hand over so he could squeeze her fingers. "You're alright, yeah? It didn't hurt you or anything?"
"Me?" she blinked incredulously, not understanding his concern exactly. "No, I'm fine. I just- I was scared when I heard you." She lowered her eyes to their joined hands briefly, cheeks growing warm before she forced herself to meet his gaze again. "It hurt you, didn't it."
Mal suddenly found he couldn't meet her eyes, dropping his gaze to his lap. "A little," he lied with a shrug. "Like a pinch."
Looking up, he could tell by Adrian's face that his father saw through him. "I'm going to get some books, see if I can find something that might explain this," the mage said quietly, standing and laying a hand on his son's head.
Looking to Penny, Adrian asked, "Can you stay with him? Keep an eye on him, and if something happens come get me?"
"Of course I will. Promise." She nodded, smiling some for Adrian before she looked to Mal with concern again. She didn't quite trust that what she'd heard was only a sound of surprise if he'd managed to faint.
Penny smoothed her free hand over the covers before sitting down at his side. "Think you're going to be okay?"
He cracked a grin. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry." He sat up a bit more, relieved that the dizziness seemed to be fading.
"I just wish I knew what the hell was going on," he muttered after a moment, glaring at the wall and unconsciously squeezing her hand tighter.
Penny nodded, accepting it to his face but eyes still watching him with silent worry. "Me too," she sighed, squeezing back and rubbing her thumb along the side of his hand.
Curious if it might have sparked some sort of illness she leaned forward to press her other palm first to his cheek and then his forehead. "You should probably rest," she murmured decisively. "I don't want you to fly like this."
Her sudden closeness had his cheeks heating. He ducked away from her hand, not wanting her to feel the blush and assume he had a fever or something. Not to mention it was rather humiliating that she could make him actually blush.
"You're worrying too much," he said lightly, not quite able to meet her eyes. "I'll be fine, really."
"I'm not worrying too much, I'm concerned about your health," she said firmly, pulling her hand away since he seemed so uncomfortable with it. Leaning back some she folded her hands together on her lap instead as she tried to think of an alternative.
"We should just walk. Not worth the risk. What if you just...fell out of the sky, huh? What would we do then?" Well, die, of course. At least she thought so.
Mal snorted. "I'm not going to fall out of the sky," he muttered. "Besides, walking would take days. Kura would be worried sick about you!"
Well he was certainly right about one thing, but she thought her teacher might be a little more understanding when it came to Mal's health. It wasn't irresponsible, after all.
Briefly Penny wondered what would have happened to him if she'd kept going, but the thought alone made her shudder and shift uncomfortably to look away from him. "Kura will always worry, it's just in her nature. Even if she doesn't show it well." She smiled some for that. The mage could certainly be harsh at times but the young woman knew she had a good heart.
"It's so impractical, isn't it?" she sighed, glancing to him with an apologetic smile. "I hope your father can find something. It's not that I don't trust you, I just... Don't trust what could happen if there was an accident." What would he do if she fell? It would only be a few seconds before there was too much distance between them, never mind the unlikelihood of him letting her fall at all.
He snorted. "Impractical is certainly one word for it." Sighind, he let himself lean back against the headboard of the bed.
"You sure you're alright?" he asked after a moment. He hadn't realized he was still holding her hand, and now he rubbed little circles with his thumb on the back of her hand.
It was possible she was doing what he'd done, lying about pain so that no one would worry. He certainly wouldn't put it past her, it seemed like a Penny sort of thing to do.
“I’m fine,” she promised. Penny smiled for his obvious concern and gave his hand a quick squeeze, though she didn’t move to separate them. It was understandable, she thought, for him to be concerned when they were so closely tied.
“Maybe if I’d gone further I would have felt something.” She shook her head, frowning at the thought. She didn’t even want to think of how that might have hurt him if only thirty steps had caused him to cry out like that, even if it was just surprise. “Not going to test that, though,” she muttered.
Mal chuckled. "I appreciate that," he said with a wry grin. "I'd rather not pass out again, thanks all the same." He kept his grip on her hand- it was comforting, an anchor.
A sudden knock made him glance at the doorway where Adrian was standing, knuckles raised to wrap against the door frame. "You both feeling alright?" he asked, moving into the room.
Mal grinned. "I'm fine, really. Penny says she's alright, but I don't think it'd hurt to give her one of the magical little once overs."
Looking up at the sudden sound she shot Adrian a grateful look but quickly turned skeptical eyes to Mal. "No... No, I'm fine. Perfectly healthy." Her free hand gestured at herself, as if that should have been obvious just by looking at her. Truthfully, she was a little frightened to find out that there actually was something wrong with her.
"Mal thinks he can fly tonight still... I told him we should walk back just to be safe," Penny explained, shaking her head.
Adrian's eye narrowed as he considered that. "Or you could stay the night and see if Mal is up to flying in the morning," he offered. A small, wry smile and he added, "It would make me feel better about the whole thing at least."
Mal rolled his eyes. "You both are being ridiculous. I am fine."
Flicking his hand gently she narrowed her eyes at him. "Would it really hurt to give your father some peace of mind? Honestly. So stubborn." She said the last with a teasing little smile and shook her head before looking to Adrian again. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Make sure he gets some rest before making such an important decision."
"Fine!" Mal threw his hands in the air. "We'll stay the night. But you, Pretty Penny, are defndimg me when Kura wants my ass on a platter for not bringing you back immediately."
Penny rolled her eyes but was glad he was agreeing. "If that's all then I'd say it's worth it," she sneered playfully, patting his leg and moving to stand.
Turning to Adrian she gestured beyond the doorway. "May I sleep in one of the chairs out there?"
"Nonsense!" Adrian exclaimed, giving her a kind smile. "You can have my room. I'll sleep in the workroom, it'll hardly be the first time."
Mal sat up a bit. "Hold on, why can't she just sleep in here? I'll take the workroom- that bench isn't gonna do your back any favors, old man."
"Old?" He glared at his adoptive son behind his spectacles. "Who are you calling old?"
She looked between them, finally cracking a smile and shaking slightly with laughter. "Really, it's fine! I don't want to push anyone out, it's just for a night. I could take the workroom instead if you'd prefer I not use the chair." It was a fine suggestion, she thought, though it probably wasn't a good idea to let her sleep among more magical things she could get her troublesome hands on.
"No," Adrian said firmly, but with a smile. "You're my guest, I insist you use a bed." He pointed at Mal. "You too, young man. You're recovering." Tapping his chin, he mused, "I suppose if you insist I could move a mattress in here so one of you could use that..."
Mal bit his lip. It was better than any of them sleeping on the workbench, but he didn't know how comfortable Penny would be with the idea. He glanced at her and shrugged. "Really, I don't mind taking the workroom. I've slept in much worse places these last few months."
Not quite understanding what Adrian was implying Penny simply shrugged and looked beyond the doorway again. "Really, there's no need to move furniture around just for a single night. I'd rather sleep on the floor for all that," she said kindly, looking between them as though she expected it really shouldn't have been such an issue. While she was certainly a guest she didn't see why they should make such a fuss over such an unexpected visitor's comfort.
"Penny," Adrain said with a kind little twinkle in his eye, "it's really no trouble. It's a simple enough spell. Why don't you wait here and I'll set things up?"
Mal opened his mouth to protest again, then closed it with a sigh. "I'm just not going to win this one, am I?"
With an exasperated little sigh and slight slump to her shoulders Penny saw that the same could be said for her. "Alright," she agreed, looking to Mal in defeat. "I don't think either of us are." While she was certainly stubborn about her own beliefs she knew she couldn't be so rude as to turn her nose up at any kindness Adrian wished to bestow upon her as his guest.
"Just wish I could help, maybe. Kura never uses that kind of magic. Says it would make me lazy," she chuckled.
"I'm giving you a free pass to be lazy for today," Adrian chuckled, turning to leave the room and set about making good on that promise.
Mal slumped back against the pillows, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I could have you home in an hour if you'd just let me fly," he muttered petulantly, knowing he'd lost but his stubborn nature refusing to subside without a parting shot.
She watched him go with a warm smile, grateful for his kindness and hospitality even though she didn't feel as though she'd deserved it.
"We can leave first thing in the morning," she promised, eyes sparkling with amusement as she glanced at him. "You look tired. I'll give Kura a reasonable excuse anyway. It was...storming too badly or something." She waved her hand at the wall.
Mal chuckled softly, looking at her. He reached out, hesitated, then closed his fingers gently around her wrist.
"Thanks for...being so understanding about all this," he murmured, giving her a small smile.
She looked down at where he touched, unconsciously leaning towards him a bit from where she stood. A faint warmth spread to her cheeks and her heart gave an annoying little thump when she lifted her eyes to see his smile. "Yeah, well... Says the one giving me a hard time being all stubborn. You can thank me by getting a good night's rest."
Instead of pulling away she twisted her arm slowly to turn her hand enough to grasp his own wrist. Giving it a light squeeze she looked down again to study where they touched. It seemed like they'd been joined in some way or another for the better part of the day, always some little touch or holding hands. It was certainly unusual but somehow wasn't an unpleasant thing either. It was comfortable, warm, and despite only knowing him a handful of days felt quite natural. Perhaps it was simply the nature of their magical bond, but somewhere in the back of her mind she hoped it was a little more than that.
Mal followed her glance down, observing their joined hands. Her stomach have a netvupis little flip that made no sense and he looked back up at her. "Penny-"
Whatever he's meant to say fled from his mind. He licked his lips and simply looked at her. His father had said their bond was connecting them even deeper than he'd originally thought- it seemed he literally needed her to breathe.
It was terrifying, but maybe a little exilerating. He found himself leaning toward her slowly, not quite sure himself what he planned to do. "Penny..."
"Alright." Adrian's voice snapped him back to himself and he jerked away from her, dropping her hand and looking to the doorway. "I can set you up a temporary bed in the main room, dear, if you'd be more comfortable there than in here," his father said with a smile.
Speechless and almost in a trance of sorts Penny stumbled away from the bed at the sound of Adrian's voice. She looked at him over her shoulder, shaking her head slightly as her eyes struggled to focus. She'd been given a choice. Somehow the words wouldn't come right away even as a slight burn tickled in her throat.
"Bed," she finally repeated, turning at last to face him entirely and taking a few steps away from Mal. "Out there." She pointed with a shaky hand and hurried to meet him at the door without another look to the phoenix. It felt a little odd, though, a little thought reminding her that she was abandoning Mal, as ridiculous as that was. She simply wanted him to be able to sleep comfortably in the privacy of his own room.
Adrian seemed a little bemused, but he easily led Penny out to where he'd set up a rather cozy little cot in front of the hearth.
Mal simply sat on the edge of his bed, staring at the door for a moment. It was well within the "twenty paces" they seemed to have established as the approximate range of their bond, but he still felt...odd, without her there.
He flopped back on the bed, covering his face with his hands and groaning. Gods, he was in trouble.
Penny flashed a distracted smile of thanks and carefully stepped closer until she could sit down on the little cot with the warmth of the fire at her back. She glanced to the doorway with a sigh of relief to see that she hadn't dragged Mal out with her, though probably only just barely. "Thank you so much, Adrian, I'm so sorry about the short notice." She winced slightly, reaching up to pull her hair over one shoulder as she looked around herself.
"This is perfect," she decided. "I suppose I'll see you in the morning?" She felt a slight pang of regret that she hadn't said goodnight to Mal. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he could hear her talking to his father.
"Yes. Sleep well, Penny." Adrian sort of patted her head absently, gathered up a few books he'd left on one of the chairs, and drifted back to his room.
Mal could hear them talking, faintly, and his brow furrowed as he stared at the ceiling. Why did he feel so uneasy? It wasn't that strange pulling of the magical bond, and he knew that Penny was right outside. But still he found himself fidgeting as he tried to get to sleep- like he was worried about her, but there was something else too. Some awareness of her he hadn't even realized he'd developed.
After watching him go Penny made herself comfortable on the cot, curling up with her knees to her chest and staring out at the fire. Even as the darkness enveloped her and the noises of the night were all around she lay awake and restless, mind racing as she reflected upon the day. It had been so much to take in and to learn and the gravity of the situation wore heavily on her.
She was in over her head. More than that, though, she suddenly felt incredibly alone despite the other people in the house. What she didn't realize she was missing was Mal's presence.
The sudden feeling of silent tears upon her shoulder gave her a bit of a start. Curling in even further upon herself she forced her eyes closed and tried to will herself to sleep.
He tried to sleep. He really did. For almost an hour he tossed and turned, until finally he admitted defeat and sat up, frowning.
This was ridiculous. Maybe if he just checked on her, reassured himself that she was fine, he would feel more at ease. All the while telling himself how irrational he was being, Mal stood and slowly padded out into the main room. He paused when he saw Penny curled up on the cot, letting out a sharp breath.
He did feel a bit better, illogical as it was. Assuming the girl was already asleep, he smiled softly and murmured, "Sweet dreams, Penny," turning to go back to his room.
Her eyes flew open at the sound of his voice. Soft as it was, it felt like it was right by her ear in the quiet of the rest of the house. She wasn't sure how she hadn't heard him come out.
Turning over onto her back to see him disappearing she smiled to herself and spoke a quiet, "Sweet dreams, Mal." Somehow she felt better knowing he'd come out to say a proper goodnight, the odd knot in her chest uncoiling itself as she rolled back over.
He paused in the hall, thinking he'd heard something. Was Penny awake after all? Shaking his head, he decided he'd imagined it and returned to his room.
Somehow, it was suddenly much easier for him to fall asleep.
She'd at least gotten to sleep once he was gone but the brightness of morning woke her far too easily. There was a distinct feeling of being poorly rested, the past few days' exertions still wearing pretty heavily on her. The cot had certainly been comfortable enough but it hadn't been "home."
There was the distinct chill of a nightmare clinging to her as she sat up and yawned. Her brow creased in thought as she tried to remember it, but nothing came to mind.
For once, Mal found himself rising fairly early, though he was just as groggy as ever. His foggy brain barely registered the room he'd grown up in before he was stumbling down the hall toward the kitchen.
Of course, not watching where he was going he snagged his foot on Penny's cot and fell onto the thing face first with a muffled "Oomph!"
It had been easy enough to spot him being the only thing moving besides herself. Penny gave a tired little wave thinking it would be enough acknowledgement for him to see her, but the sudden whoosh of air as he fell accompanied by the jostling as he grazed her was enough to shove her off her perch on the edge of the flimsy thing.
"Mal!" she squeaked, turning to stare at him in wide-eyed disbelief as she more or less righted herself to sit on the floor instead. She tried her best to be quiet for Adrian's sake. "I was right there, what's wrong with you? Are you sleepwalking?!"
Now wide awake, Mal thrashed around for a moment, swearing quietly, then managed to sit up and look at her. Face bright red, he mumbled, "Sorry, I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention-"
He leaned toward her, offering his hand. "Sorry. Are you alright?"
Seeing he actually was awake she just shook her head and gave herself a quick once-over. "Well, yes I think so. Few bumps here and there," she muttered, tilting her head once she was done to look at him accusingly. That didn't stop her from taking his hand, though. Not knowing where else to go as standing would have been a bit awkward she just clambered back up onto the cot with his help.
"Good thing I was already up. A few minutes earlier and you probably would have crushed me." She winced, shaking her head again and giving his hand a squeeze as she muttered, "Silly bird."
He flushed- if possible- even redder and mumbled another apology. Looking her over with concern, Mal let his hand slip up her arm to her shoulder and turned her gently this way and that, trying to see if he'd actually hurt her.
"Silly bird?" he said after a moment with a small, wry smile. "Is that revenge for "Pretty Penny"?"
She flinched slightly as his hand brushed her forearm but otherwise she felt fine. It smarted a little from her sudden fall but it was hardly worth mentioning. "I don't need revenge for a compliment," she pointed out. "Unless it isn't one. Then I guess I could get my revenge by not defending you against Kura when we go back." She smirked and tilted her head to look at what he revealed by turning her.
"I'm fine, Mal," she prompted, turning again to study his look of obvious concern.
Snorting softly, Mal shook his head at her with a lopsided smile. "Oh, it's a compliment," he assured her. "And I'm not just saying that 'cause I don't want you to throw me to your mentor."
She didn't seem hurt. Subsiding, he squeezed her shoulder gently before drawing his hand back. "You sleep alright out here?" he asked, letting his head tilt slightly to one side.
Kura was probably going to give him a piece of her mind whether Penny defended him or not, but she didn't exactly want to advertise that. "Well enough, but... It took me a long time to actually get to sleep," she admitted, lifting a hand to touch her cheek briefly. She was certain a mirror would show how tired she looked, but she quickly dropped it and shook her head to look towards the kitchen.
"Were you heading that way, then?"
His lips twitched up on one side. "You know me well." He stood and offered a hand to help her up. "Come on, I was just gonna grab something to eat before saying goodbye to Da so we can get you home."
Taking his hand was easy enough, almost automatic at that point. Standing, she used her free hand to smooth out her clothes before turning toward the kitchen. It seemed he was quite eager to leave but she couldn't exactly blame him when she had so much to learn and do for them.
"Is there anything you want to take with you? You know, in case it might be a while," she trailed off.
"Hm?" He glanced at her, then around the room. Shrugging, he shook his head. "No. It's been months since I've been here and I didn't really miss anything." Well, material things. "I usually travel light anyway." He led her toward the kitchen and set about trying to scrounge up something to eat.
It was easy enough to accept that, though she didn't quite know what that was like herself. Letting herself drift away from him Penny went to go take a seat at the table. "I guess that means you're feeling better now, right? Not in any pain? Not dizzy or anything?"
Groaning dramatically, Mal rolled his eyes and looked over at her. "Like I kept telling you and Da last night, I feel fine. Really. Fit to fly and everything." He threw her a quick wink.
"Well I just needed to make sure! Not every day I have to deal with a sickly mount," she teased. It really was a relief to hear it confirmed, even though it would have been easy enough to just be a lie.
"Oi, who you calling a mount?" he demanded mildly, arching an eyebrow at her as he moved toward the stove, a few dry ingredients tucked under one arm. "And how do you feel about porridge? Because we really don't seem to have much else."
Penny blinked in surprise and just shook her head automatically. "I'm not hungry." Okay, that was a lie. "I mean, I can wait until we get back. I thought you were a terrible cook," she reminded him with a skeptical look.
He gave her a dry look. "It's porridge. How do you mess up porridge?"
"I'm sure you'd find a way."
Mal started slightly and glanced up to find Adrian in the doorway, smirking. He made a face at him. "Fine. Then magic something up, because I'm starving."
His father shook his head, chuckling, and stepped into the room with an amiable, "Good morning, Penny," apparently ignoring the phoenix.
She perked up at the sound of his voice, somehow both surprised and relieved he was up so early with them. "Good morning," she greeted cheerily, a good deal more enthusiastic than she'd been for Mal nearly falling on her.
"Didn't wake you, did we? I'm sorry if we were too loud." Penny apologized anyway, wincing slightly and cast a look towards the main room where she'd slept.
Adrian chuckled and shook his head. "No, that's quite alright. I'm an early riser, and it was rather nice to hear other people in the house after so long."
Mal winced a little guiltily at that, dropping his eyes and trying to do something with the fire under the stove. Just what he wasn't entirely sure.
Penny caught Mal's fidgeting in a sideways glance but paid no mind to it. She wasn't sure what he expected to do with it if Adrian conjured them breakfast, but she did feel a little bad for discouraging his cooking. Her eyes softened as she returned her attention to his father, though.
"If you don't mind the company I'm sure Mal wouldn't mind us staying through the morning," she offered, feeling a little bad that someone as kind as Adrian seemed to be so isolated. She wondered if he was lonely but that thought only made her frown.
Adrian grinned at her. "I'd love the company," he said easily, crossing the room to put a hand on Mal's shoulder and silently steering him toward a chair. Grumbling, the younger man took a seat, glancing up at Penny.
"You sure you don't mind staying?"
Noticing how Mal didn't immediately protest against it made her feel better. A knowing little smile played at her lips and she nodded. He didn't seem too against it after all.
"I like it here," she told him honestly, smiling and casting a thoughtful look out the window. She couldn't quite explain why but being with them among their little two-person "family" felt very similar to being with her own at home. It was comfortable, safe.
Both father and son shot her a quick smile at that. "I'm glad," Mal said softly as Adrian set about bustling around the kitchen and magicking up a quick breakfast.
"Any requests, Penny?" the mage asked over his shoulder.
"No." She laughed, tilting her head towards him in interest to watch what she could see of him working. "I'm fine waiting until later. You don't have to go through the trouble," she insisted, though she felt like it was probably like the sleeping arrangements the previous night and he wasn't going to let her weasel her way out of what he saw as satisfactory.
Adrian gave her a dry look. "You know, this is going to go a lot easier if you just tell me what you want for breakfast," he said lightly. "Otherwise I'm just going to have to magic up some dozen dishes until I find something you like."
Mal chuckled, shaking his head. "He's really not gonna let it go," he warned Penny with a quick, lopsided grin.
"No, no, no that's not necessary!" she hurried to protest, automatically looking to Mal for help. Of course he wasn't going to defend her, though. Pouting and crossing her arms she gave it some serious thought to choose something she hadn't been able to have in a long time.
"Could make a sweet bread, perhaps?" she finally asked. "My mother used to make one with fruit... But don't bother if it's too much trouble." She didn't like that she was being forced to choose but it was better than him wasting a bunch of time making food that couldn't possibly be eaten by the three of them.
"Coming right up." A murmured chant and a snap of his fingers and he handed her a plate, the bread steaming gently with warmth as though it was freshly baked.
"Here." Another snap of his fingers and Mal found a plate of smoked salmon being pushed in front of him. He grinned at his father and dug in, groaning quietly with satisfaction.
Penny grinned in genuine happiness as he presented the plate to her. She took it gently and set it slightly away from herself as if expecting it to disappear at any moment. When Mal dug in she assumed it was just going to stay just like that as their evening meal had the previous day.
"That's incredible." She was mesmerized by the simple magic. She tore into her food easily enough, a soft smile of pure pleasure there as she savored it. "Gods this is amazing," she moaned. "Thank you so much."
Adrian took a place at the table for himself, chuckling lightly while his eyes twinkled at her from behind his glasses. "I'm glad you think so," he said cheerfully.
Mal gave her a crooked grin and teased, "You act like you haven't eaten in days, Pretty Penny."
Penny only laughed, unwilling to let his teasing interfere with savoring the first few bites of her breakfast. "I rarely get to eat like this," she defended, patting her belly playfully for the warm food. "In case you haven't noticed Kura and I eat pretty plain meals."
Mal chuckled quietly and Adrian looked between the two of them, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Your teacher," he said, looking at Penny, "Kura. What's her surname?"
Looking to Adrian she smiled proudly and gently pushed her plate aside. "Salyan," she answered thoughtfully. "Kura Salyan. Do you know her, perhaps? She used to work in the capital, but she lives in Tirial now. That's where I'm from."
He nodded thoughtfully, picking at his own breakfast. "Salyan... Yes, the name is vaguely familiar. Well, you should give her my regards when you return home. Thank her for looking after my son, and producing such a capable student." He winked at her.
Mal gave Penny a look that quite clearly said, Now you know where I get it from.
Penny felt quite unworthy of that compliment and flashed him a slightly nervous smile but nodded in agreement. "I'll tell her," she promised, though she was certainly going to leave out the praises.
She picked at her food a bit more before setting it aside entirely and leaning back in her chair with a contented sigh. "Mal can we fly here for breakfast every day?" she asked teasingly.
"Hey, I don't have a problem with it," he laughed, spreading his hands in a helpless gesture. "You're the one with the warden, Pretty Penny."
Tilting his head, he added with a slight frown, "I suppose that would require getting up early though..."
"She is not my warden!" The young mage pouted, looking out the window again as she thought about it.
She realized she'd gotten quite comfortable with the idea of Mal being around for a while. Though she still had quite a sense of urgency in her heart knowing a bit more about the nature of their bond made her not want to rush the process of unraveling them. There was no point really if she could cause him serious harm. She was sure she was going to have to embrace her power -what there was of it at least- in some way, and that was a scary thought.
"Maybe just every now and then. I shouldn't be imposing." She turned to Adrian with an apologetic smile before looking to Mal. "Are you full yet?"
"You're not imposing," Adrian assured her cheerfully at the same time Mal nodded and stood from his chair, arching his back into a long, languid stretch.
"Thanks for the help, Da," he said with a quick grin.
The older man stood, nodding. "Let me walk you two out."
Standing to join them, Penny cast a guilty look towards the main room again. "Adrian... Can I help you put things away before I go? I don't want to leave a mess for you," she muttered, refusing to acknowledge that he'd had the help of magic before.
"It's not a problem, dear, don't worry about it," Adrian reassured her with a smile. Then his expression became suddenly thoughtful and he said, "Actually- would you mind running into my workroom and grabbing a book to take with you? I can clean up out here while you're doing that."
His eyes flicked subtly to Mal and the phoenix stiffened. That look never boded well. "The title is in Essyrni, I'm afraid, but it's quite distinct. Dark green binding, gold lettering. Perhaps Kura will find it helpful," Adrian continued.
Mal glanced at the young woman apologetically. "Do you mind?"
Stunned that he was willing to offer his help to such an extent Penny nodded eagerly and smiled brightly as she listened to his explanation of it. She didn't think it would be any trouble to carry a book on their short journey. "Sure, of course! Thank you! I'll go get it."
She didn't hesitate any further and hurried over to the door. The room was a little unfamiliar to her still having fled it so quickly the previous day, but she flitted over to the collection of books within in search of the one he'd described to her. Kneeling before the shelves she ran her hand along the spines in search of one in a language she didn't recognize. Gold letters. Dark green.
Mal waited until she left the room to turn to his father, one eyebrow raised as he watched Adrian magic away the cot. "What's the problem?"
His father let out a breath, rubbing at his temples, and turned to face him. "The girl," he said bluntly. "You two really aren't-"
The phoenix flushed. "We aren't!" he protested, shaking his head emphatically.
The mage seemed unconvinced. "It certainly doesn't look that way, even just from a day of being around you two." He raised a hand to cut of Mal's protests and continued, "Maybe you aren't yet. But I know you Mal. I've seen the way you look at her."
He huffed, flushing, and looked away. "So I flirt a little," he mumbled, "So what?"
"You know what, Mal!" Adrian snapped back, voice rising. Neither really seemed to be taking into account the very small space separating them from Penny anymore.
At first she'd barely heard their voices both for the relative quiet and her intense focus on her search. Rising up to stand she went through the upper shelves until her eyes finally settled on a volume that stood out to her. Plucking it down she thumbed through it briefly, brow furrowing in confusion as she tried to recognize any of the words and found she could not decipher any of it. There were certainly a few languages she didn't know but given his description she was willing to accept that it was the right one. She'd have the chance to ask the owner himself to make sure, after all.
As she moved towards the door, though, she heard the sharp, snapping words between father and son and froze. It wasn't a conversation for her ears but it would have been worse to interrupt them. They hadn't really had any privacy with her there, after all.
Penny listened, cheeks feeling quite warm as she consciously tried to stay quiet. She clutched the book to her chest and crept closer to the door but didn't open it.
"The sooner you two break this bond, the better off you'll both be," Adrian was saying, staring hard at Mal. "And I don't just mean the magical one."
Mal was getting irritated now. "One, we don't have any other kind of bond," he snapped, though even as he said the words they didn't ring quite true to him. "And two- what the hell do you mean?"
The mage sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fourteen hundred years."
The phoenix blinked. "What?"
"Fourteen hundred years," his father repeated. "You are young, even by human standards. You have no idea what that really means. Silmeria is still in the prime of her life and she is over a thousand years old. You'll live just as long. Longer, probably."
Mal swallowed, looking away. He really didn't like thinking about that aspect of what he was. "You're afraid I'll lead her on," he guessed, tone sharp. "And then once it sinks in that she's human, I'll up and leave." If he could.
Adrian shook his head slowly. "I'm afraid you won't," he said softly. "I'm afraid you'll grow closer. I'm afraid you'll be happy with her for whatever time you have- maybe a hundred years if you're lucky- and then she'll be gone. And you'll be left alone, grieving, for the next fifteen centuries."
His stomach dropped. That had never even been something he'd really considered. Sure, he flirted, chased a few girls here and there, but he was never serious about it. He supposed he'd always sort of assumed that things would work themselves out.
"...We're friends," he said flatly, voice quiet again.
"Just see that it stays that way."
She was surprised to hear what Adrian had to say to his son. She'd assumed the lifespan of a phoenix would have been significant, but to hear that Mal would live for so long came as a shock to a young mage who'd never given much time to the study of his kind.
It made something in her chest tighten, an annoying knot resting there as she tried to digest what it was they were discussing. Even with their odd circumstances she had hoped that such fast friends might be able to remain at least that, at least subconsciously she had. Now it seemed like Mal planned to leave forever, even if Adrian didn't believe that.
For some reason that made her very sad, and she brought her head to rest against the wall as she mulled it over. It was something to worry about later, surely, but she did find it odd that they seemed to assume she was just human. Penny didn't bear many traits from her father without the help of magic, but as a halfing fae she certainly hoped she would live a good deal longer than the normal lifespan of a human. She wondered if she might be able to convince him to remain close as friends with that in mind once it was all over, but she certainly didn't wish any pain upon him if any form of attachment would be difficult.
Realizing she'd been gone far too long Penny scrambled back towards the bookshelves to poke around and seem like she'd been busy before scurrying back to the door. It was impossible to hide that she'd heard, though, her eyes distant and sad despite the smile she plastered on as she returned to the main room with the book outstretched in her hands. It was difficult to look at Adrian after hearing such harsh things, after knowing that he didn't seem to want her in his son's life. She could only assume he would come to resent her for creating such a bond between them.
"Is this the one?" she asked quietly.
Both father and son started, turning to the girl. It only took Adrian a moment to clear his expression and glance at the book. "Yes, that's it," he said with a kind smile.
There was a moment of silence as they all hovered in the main room, Mal and Adrian not looking at each other, but not really looking at Penny either.
"I guess we should be going then," Mal said briskly. "C'mon, Pr- Penny." He had started to reach for her arm, then stopped himself and dropped his hand.
"I'll walk you out." Adrian moved with them to the door and opened it, then hesitated. "Mal..." Slowly, he put a hand on his son's shoulder and squeezed briefly. "Don't be such a stranger, son."
He winced a little guiltily, nodding and clapping his father's shoulder briefly in return before turning to walk away. He hated leaving after a fight- if that could really be called a fight- but didn't know what else to say.
"And you." Adrian turned to Penny with a friendly smile. "It was wonderful to meet you. Take care of yourself, and feel free to come back and visit."
Penny shuffled along after them, feeling quite awkward to watch their goodbyes suddenly. She never would have guessed their visit would have been emotional at all, but watching them felt so awkward.
She tried her best to return his kindness, bowing her head slightly out of respect and thanks. "Thank you, you as well. I'll have to return this eventually." She held up the book slightly in gesture before tucking it under her arm and hurrying out after Mal.
Not looking back she stepped quickly until she was at his side and their arms just barely brushed. She knew he needed space to change but it felt wrong not to acknowledge what she'd seen at all. Lifting her free hand she cautiously rubbed at his upper arm and gave him an encouraging squeeze, head tilted back to give him a sad smile. "It'll be alright," she whispered, as much for their situation as the one with his father.
Trying to get to the clearing as quickly as he could so they could take off, Mal paused and looked down at her at her touch and whispered reassurance.
His eyes searched her face for a moment, then widened. He went rather pale. "Please tell me you didn't hear all that."
Of course she'd heard it. They'd been practically screaming at each other. If he'd been thinking, he would have realized she must have overheard before that moment.
Or better yet, kept his damn voice down.
Realizing how she'd outed herself Penny flinched at his words but could only stare at him in wide-eyed helplessness. "No! Well... I-I wasn't trying to eavesdrop it's just that you were-" So loud. Very loud at times. But there was hardly an excuse for her hearing the quieter things they'd said when she'd been pressed to the wall to listen in on them.
"I'm sorry," she sighed, hanging her head as she admitted, "None of my business, but...I heard some of it. Towards the end. Didn't want to interrupt you." Penny chewed her lip nervously, biting back a whimper. She felt so small to be owning up to something so rude, as she saw it. "Won't happen again. Can we just...go home?"
Well. That was hardly ideal.
More embarrassed than anything else, Mal shook his head quickly. "No- I mean, it wasn't your fault, really. We weren't exactly being quiet." He cleared his throat and looked away, flushing. "Yeah. Yeah, let's get you home. Just...forget about it, okay?"
He wasn't sure what she'd heard exactly, but it would be easier if neither of them mentioned it again.
She nodded, feeling a little numb and awkward that he wanted to just leave it at that. There was nothing to clarify. He probably didn't want to talk about it anyway, being so fresh in his mind.
Without another word or so much as a glance his way she dropped her hand and gestured for him to continue on so that they could get going.
Automatically he started to reach for her hand, then stopped himself. Quite, expression thoughtful, he made his way into the clearing and motioned for her to stay back, getting some distance between them before he took his other form.
Penny followed him just to the edge of it, book clutched tightly in her hands as the only thing she could hold onto. As much as she'd been enthralled by watching him before she didn't this time. Catching the giant bird out of the corner of her eye, though, she approached him automatically once he was ready and clambered onto his back.
She settled herself awkwardly, clutching the book against her chest with one arm and letting only one hand sink between his feathers to hold onto him.
Shuffling his feet a little awkwardly, Mal muttered, "You should hold on a little tighter. Just to be safe."
He didn't try to press the issue though, and made sure to keep his takeoff much smoother and gentler than previous ones, climbing in wide, shallow arcs to bring them to a good altitude so he could catch an updraft.
She hunkered down to cling to him as best as she could, but she was quietly grateful that he didn't shoot up into the air as he'd done before. Once she felt safe enough to loosen her hold on him she situated the book again so it wasn't digging into her ribs and leaned back a bit to look around them.
It was nice to be up high again but this time she wasn't as fascinated with the ground zooming below them as she was the puffy clouds above.
After a few minutes of flying in quiet, Mal chanced a casual, "You doing okay?"
"Mhmm," she hummed softly, automatically giving a few gentle pets of reassurance to his feathers as she looked down at him instead.
"It's nice today," she added a bit louder. "You sure you're feeling alright for this?"
"Yeah. Yeah, of course I am." He gave a brisk flap, sending wind ruffling through his feathers. "The fresh air is nice, actually. "
He sort of wished he could think of something better to say, but for now it seemed talking about the weather was their safest option.
"Good, I'm glad." She could only hope he was telling her the truth. She still quietly worried they might still be in danger of just falling out of the sky, but she kept that to herself. It would be better once they'd landed and he'd proven her otherwise.
"What would you do if it rained?" Penny asked suddenly, tilting her head curiously as she studied his feathers. "Would you be able to fly?" It was easy enough to picture him being smothered out by water, though the thought was a little sad.
his feathers ruffled at the thought. "No, I wouldn't actually," he replied. "I can't take this form in the rain, or if there's any chance of a lot of contact with water. Well...it's not that I can't, it's just not a good idea."
Penny frowned in thought, curious as to what that meant but not willing to risk his discomfort to try anything with it. "But as your...human form. It's safe," she observed, remembering their dip in the lake. "You seem like a strong swimmer."
"Hm? Oh, yeah. As a human I'm fine." Well, at least he had been. He supposed the longer he went without the binding that kept him in his human form the more water might affect him. "I used to swim in this pond back near the cottage when I was a kid, so I've just had practice, that's all."
A few more wingbeats in silence. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore. With a sigh, he said quietly, "Penny... Do you- have any questions? About what you heard?" She was a student. Maybe it would be easier to talk about if he approached it like another lesson.
It was easy enough for her to accept. It was a perfectly normal thing in her own life after all, but the sudden change of topic made her stiffen. What was there to even ask? It was none of her business really and her only part in his life should have been focusing on breaking their magical bond. Yet, she hated thinking of them as only connected through that at the same time.
"I don't know what to ask," she finally admitted, leaning forward to lay against him a bit more. She thought she already knew most of the situation, at least. "I guess I was just surprised- To hear that you'll live for such a long time."
It was more than just surprise, though, she realized. She was sad and almost disappointed. She could only imagine what it would be like to know that most of the people in one's life would eventually be such a distant memory, concluding for herself it would only be filled with sadness and bitterness. It made her seriously question why her own parents might have chosen each other under such circumstances.
There was one other thing that she hadn't quite been able to let go of, but she didn't think she was ready to broach the subject with him. "I...just hope you won't be as sad in life as your father seems to think you might be," she finally added after a pause that was much longer than she'd needed to actually formulate that.
Mal chuckled a little bitterly. "Yeah, imagine how I felt," he muttered, a little shiver running through him and ruffling his feathers. He sighed then, angling his wings to catch a current of air. "I guess...I'll just have to figure it out," he murmured after a moment, falling silent again.
"I'm sure you will," she tried to encourage, hugging him as best as she could with the book still in one hand as she settled into silence. She wasn't sure if it would even be comforting to him but it seemed like the right thing to do.
Mal huffed quietly, appreciating the gesture even if he wasn't so sure that she was right.
Glancing down, he saw the speck of the cottage approaching below them and banked to bring them in to land at the base of the hill with a rather guilty glance at the height of the sun. It was almost noon.
Bracing herself against the landing Penny was quick to clamber off his back once they were there. She rushed to make herself presentable again, fussing with her windswept hair for only a few moments before she was off and practically running for the hill that separated them from Kura's home.
Her teacher had stayed up the whole night for them and was still waiting, a chair pulled up to the window by the door as she hoped and prayed her student would eventually turn up. She was bitter for trusting Penny for thinking she knew what she was doing. Already she suspected awful things like Mal leaving her dead in a ditch to force the breaking of their bond.
Mal changed back and followed Penny at a much more sedate pace, nervous about how Kura would react to their return. He figured it was probably in his best interests to let the girl try to talk her teacher down a bit before he tried to explain himself.
Nearly as soon as Penny made it over the top of the hill and started heading down towards their home Kura was bolting out of her seat and running outside to meet her. "Penelope!"
Penny flinched at the mixture of anger and fear in her teacher's voice, but she certainly heard a bit of relief in their as well. She stopped and stood still, bracing herself for the reprimand of a lifetime. When Kura reached her, though, she was only enveloped in a tight hug as the mage buried her face against her.
Squirming for the tight arms constricting her did nothing but hurt with the book shoving into her ribs. Flailing frantically finally got Kura's attention enough for her to release the girl and hold her at arm's length. "Where have you been?!"
She flinched again and cast a desperate, nervous look over her shoulder towards Mal that only seemed to fuel Kura's fire since she'd yet to provide any sort of explanation.
The older mage twitched and curled her hands into fists as she stepped around Penny to storm toward him instead. "What did you do to her?!" she demanded.
Realizing this was quite the opposite of defending him Penny turned quickly and put a staying hand on her instructor's shoulder. "No, it's not his fault! I made him stay the night." That really was all there was to it, she didn't expect her to understand that she'd been worried for Mal's health after passing out.
"Made him stay." Kura scoffed and shook her head in disbelief. "You expect me to believe that you made him stay?"
"Well... Our bond," Penny mumbled.
"Ah. You didn't break it yet." Kura seemed to calm considerably at that, taking a step away from Mal and turning her attention to Penny at last. It was much more believable that she'd returned with him if the magic between them remained intact.
"Not yet- We...ran into some trouble testing it. Mal got hurt and I wanted him to rest the night. I'm sorry I couldn't warn you." It was a sincere apology, the relative truth spilling quite easily as all the little lies she'd been thinking on flew away from her mind.
Kura looked to Mal with an accusing eye, daring him to tell her that Penny was lying to her as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Mal was, frankly, terrified, and he stopped a few yards away, just at the edge of their bond actually. He relaxed a bit when Kura's attention turned to Penny as the girl explained, but didn't try to get any closer.
Then her eyes flicked to him again and he swallowed nervously. Oh well. Might as well go out honorably. "That's...not quite true," he admitted in a mumble. "I mean- it is, but...I should have brought her home anyway. I really was fine, Penny and my father were just worrying over nothing. I could have brought her back if I really tried."
At least he thought he could have. The girl was awfully stubborn.
He bowed his head and mumbled, "I'm truly very sorry for worrying you, Mistress Kura. Please don't blame Penny."
Penny glared at him for not defending her version of it while Kura looked between them with surprise for the difference in their stories. At least Mal had politeness going for him.
"I'll blame Penny if I like," she retorted haughtily, turning tired eyes on her student but truly having no energy to fuss at her any more now that the excitement of her return was fading and the very real weariness of waiting up for her reminded the mage how desperately she needed sleep.
"But enough of that. And enough of this 'Mistress.' I warned you already, young man," Kura reminded him, uncrossing her arms and gesturing for him to follow before she clapped an arm around Penny's shoulders to steer her away towards the house.
"Please come inside. You should rest. Well, I need rest." After a moment's pause to open the door for them she looked to Penny thoughtfully for the book she finally noticed. ""So your expert wasn't such an expert after all?" she guessed.
"Oh, no, he was. He gave us...a lot of information." That was putting it mildly, but she wasn't sure what was alright to tell her teacher. "...another time, perhaps?" she suggested sheepishly. At the very least she deserved to discuss that with Mal beforehand.
"Mmm... If you must. And don't think you've gotten away with whatever it was you were up to. I'll find out the truth," Kura warned tiredly.
For some reason that last comment had Mal blushing as he trailed behind the two women. "We weren't up to anything!" he protested, perhaps a little too vehemently.
Maybe his father's assumption upon meeting Penny had gotten into his head a little.
The older mage turned to give him an odd look for that, not at all assuming what he was defending against. She figured it out pretty quickly, though, the wheels in her head turning as everything she assumed about their unusually long, overnight absence clicked together.
Snapping her head to glower at Penny accusingly she thumped the girl gently on the back of her head. As her teacher she wasn't really in a place to tell her what to do in that regard. Still, she certainly felt it was her right to chastise her for what she assumed about their relationship now.
"Foolish girl," Kura muttered to an entirely clueless Penny. Blue eyes turned to look at Mal incredulously, stunned that he managed to get her in trouble with his big mouth. And she didn't even have anything to show for it!
"We weren't," Penny insisted.
It was too late, though. "Later." Kura drifted away with a dismissive wave and headed to her room for a nap.
Watching her go Penny set the new book on the table before dropping into a chair and slumping to let her head fall into her hands. "Why did you have to say that?" After a moment of thought she raised her head and narrowed her eyes accusingly at him.
There had to be a reason his father had talked the way that he had about them. While she certainly felt an unusually strong connection with the phoenix she'd never noticed anything particularly odd about anything that they'd "done." A bit of hand-holding, sure, but they'd never so much as kissed before and yet two people seemed to easily assume that he'd already made himself comfortable in her bed.
"Do you...get around a lot or something?" she wondered, knowing it was a rude question to ask but deathly curious why all of these assumptions were falling on them now.
"What? No! Well..." He flushed and dropped his eyes. "Not...not really. Ah-" Clearing his throat, he shrugged and mumbled, "Look, I'm sorry, alright? I guess Da sorta got into my head a bit."
He certainly wasn't planning on telling her any details of his past relationships. Not that he'd really had "relationships". A night or two didn't really count.
Penny studied him closely, watching the fidgeting, but she decided to let it go. "Just feels so odd," she murmured, leaning back in her chair to study the place she'd called "home" for the past few years.
Just being away for a day made it feel like she'd been gone much longer. Everything was so familiar and yet was beginning to feel not quite right at the same time.
"We need to get our story straight," Penny declared, turning to look at him with a stern eye. "If I say one thing and you say another it just makes me look like I don't know what I'm talking about." She waved a hand in gesture towards the hall Kura had disappeared to before setting it atop the borrowed book.
"I don't know what's in this, but we'll have to tell her some of what we learned. I think." She swallowed nervously. Her newly-discovered affinity would have to come out eventually, being so closely connected to both herself and the bond between them. It hadn't dawned on her that Kura already knew and simply hadn't ever spoken of it.
Mal shrugged, folding his arms and leaning against the wall. "Why don't we just tell her what happened?" He arched an eyebrow. "Hell of a lot easier to keep a story straight if we're not trying to hide things or make something up."
Not to mention Kura still terrified him, a little bit.
Penny just rolled her eyes, staring up at him with a defiant pout. "It's not that I want to hide anything, but your opinion is different and we don't need her doubting us just because you want to be proud and say you weren't hurt. It makes me look like a liar, so why should she trust anything else I say?"
He raised his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. We'll go with I was hurt."
Actually... Clearing his throat awkwardly, Mal dropped his eyes and muttered, "In the interest of honesty... Before, when I told you I just passed out? That wasn't strictly true."
Despite how she appreciated the honesty now she felt an odd twinge of hurt to hear him admitting to lying to her.
"What happened?" she demanded, genuinely concerned and moving to stand to approach him. "What else?"
Mal shook his head, doing his best to smile reassuringly. "It really wasn't much, just like a- a jolt. And it kind of hurt a little. But it wasn't a big deal, that's why I didn't say anything. I didn't want to worry you and Da."
"A jolt?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "Who are you to judge if it's a big deal or not?" Of course they would worry about that, it certainly didn't seem like a good sign.
Penny sighed and shook her head at him in disappointment. "Where? Where did you feel it? Everywhere?"
He sighed. He knew she'd worry. Resigned, he answered, "Started in my chest, sort of spread out from there," gesturing to himself vaguely.
Penny frowned, shaking her head again to hear his explanation. "Mal..." She hurried forward to put her arms around him in a loose hug and buried her face against his chest. "Please tell me if it happens again. I don't want you to hurt."
Surprised by the hug, it took Mal a moment to gently wrap his arms around her in return, resting his hands on the small of her back. "I'm alright, really," he assured her quietly, hesitantly letting his cheek rest on the top of her head.
"This is why I didn't want to tell you," he murmured. "I figured you blame yourself." He rubbed a hand gently up and down her back.
"And what's wrong with that?" she complained, sighing heavily and pressing herself a little closer for the feeling of his hands upon her. "It was my fault. Need to know if anything else causes it. So I don't hurt you again."
He shook his head, holding her a little tighter. "It wasn't your fault," he protested softly. "You didn't do any of this on purpose... But I'll let you know if something happens again, okay? Promise."
It was what she'd asked for, but she didn't like his argument for the rest. "Thank you," she breathed.
She didn't want to voice it and cause any arguing between them, but Penny truly felt that it was dangerous for him to put so much faith in her. Here she was with the power to harm him if she wanted to and he was telling her it wasn't her fault. She'd certainly never had any ill intent, but it was on purpose even if the pain was not.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," she murmured, wishing so much to disappear in her shame but unwilling to leave the comfort of his arms. "Influenced it. Whatever you want to call it- I'm sorry."
Mal smiled a little sadly and pressed her closer, wrapping one arm fully around her waist as he did. "It's okay," he assured her quietly, rubbing his thumb between her shoulders.
He hesitated a moment, then pressed a quick peck to the top of her head, nuzzling slightly into her hair.
Penny breathed a shuddering sigh, leaning into him a bit more fully for his acceptance and the comforting hug. It felt so unfair for him to just forgive her so easily, but she was happy he wasn't angry or resentful.
"Were you hiding anything else from me?"
He froze at that. Was he? She couldn't mean- well he did call he Pretty Penny, it wasn't like he was exactly keeping it secret.
Deciding a bit of attraction was nothing to get worked up over, he gave her a quick squeeze and muttered, "No. Nothing."
She accepted that easily enough. Nodding and giving him a final hug, rubbing her hands along his back a bit before moving to lean away and release him.
"Don't lie to me again, please." She tilted her head to look up at him with a warning glint to her eyes before finally cracking a playful smile. "Or I'll cry."
Mal gave her a small, crooked smile in return and reached up to cup her cheek with one hand for a moment. "That's not funny," he protested quietly.
Impulsively, he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then stepped away, dropping his hand. "I won't lie, Penny. Promise."
Penny froze for the brief moment of affection, expression softening as she followed him with her eyes. "Thank you," she sighed, relieved that it seemed the truth was settled now. "I'll tell her the rest, then."
She was rather curious what her own instructor would have to say about their discoveries, but she knew better than to disturb her. Picking up the book from the table she headed for the hall with a quick, "Guess I'll get back to work."
Mal glanced around, then trailed after her. "I'll, uh...stick with you for now," he mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "I'm still kinda nervous about being alone with Kura."
"Really? Why?" As far as Penny was concerned Kura was harmless despite her little protective outburst. "Did she...say something mean?" Penny guessed sadly.
"Hm? Oh, no. Not exactly, just..." He coughed, blushed, and looked away. "I may or may not have a bit of a track record with protective older women looking out for their charges," he admitted in a mumble.
"Oh..." Penny had paused, staring at him as she thought on that tidbit of information. It didn't take her long to decide it was more funny than anything and shrugged before heading into the study. "Mal, you dog!" she teased.
Face very red, Mal protested halfheartedly, "I wouldn't say dog. More- puppy. Maybe." He offered a sheepish smile as he trailed after her into the study.
"Oh, only a puppy?" She laughed gently, enjoying his nervousness probably a little too much. "Young or old, a dog's still a dog."
Penny settled herself back at the desk, leaning back in her chair for a moment to just enjoy the sense of "home" and reorient herself. "So now I can focus on air spells," she mumbled thoughtfully, setting the new book aside for later and going through what she'd last left on the desk.
Choosing to ignore her teasing, Mal leaned against the desk and furrowed his brow in thought. "And... Okay, this may be a little out there, but hear me out- that thing Da was saying about unbinding us being like untying knots? Maybe we've been coming at this from the wrong angle."
His eyes flicked over the assortment of books they'd already gone through. "Lots of knots, all tied up together. Maybe we don't need to be unbound so much as...untangled?"
It was a fine idea, but the young mage was certain she'd never heard of such a thing before. Penny stared at him curiously, thoroughly distracted by his proposal. "But... Well, where would we even start with that?" she asked, feeling a little helpless. "I don't think I've ever heard of something like that. I mean, maybe Kura would know something more."
Penny gave it a few moments' reflection and looked around the room before turning her attention back to Mal. "You think maybe... Maybe there are lots of smaller things holding us together?"
He shrugged. "Makes about as much sens as anything else in this situation." Running a hand through his hair distractedly, Mal glanced at the door and nodded. "We probably should talk to Kura though, see what she thinks."
"Hmm."
Penny gave that some thought, curious how such a thing might have happened. If what she'd done had simply caused it all or had just begun a silent chain reaction between them that had wrangled them together in their confusion.
"Later," she dismissed, turning to pick up a book. "Let her rest, poor thing. Did you see how tired she looked?" She figured he might not have if he truly was trying to keep his distance from her teacher.
Mal winced guiltily at that, glancing at the door. "Do you think she stayed up all night?" he muttered, worrying at his bottom lip.
Penny nodded, chewing at her lip and glancing at the door with guilt. "I saw her chair at the window," she told him softly, smiling sadly. "She cares a lot more than she tells me, I think."
Another pang of guilt, but he forced a smile and reached over to ruffle her hair affectionately. "Hard not to care about you, Pretty Penny," he said without thinking. Then he coughed a little awkwardly and moved toward the door.
"I'll, um, make some tea or something." It would be something to ensure Penny at least had some sustenance while she worked, and perhaps might win him some points back with Kura.
She blushed a bit at that, ducking her head and reaching to smooth her hair back out. What he said got her attention, though, her head tilting and nose wrinkling slightly at the prospect. "You will?! ...Thank you, that's really nice of you."
A genuine smile broke out at the thought. "Everything should be in the kitchen," she reminded him before setting her hands back to the books to disappear into them for a while.
Mal nodded at her and flashed a quick smile, then slipped out and made his way to the kitchen, leaving her to her books.
He may have been a terrible cook, but even he could manage tea. He found a kettle and set the water boiling with a click of his fingers, then set abut searching through cabinets for tea leaves.
It was easy enough to settle back into studying after their absence. She'd almost missed it, honestly, but she searched with a much different perspective this time instead of the blind desperation of before.
While he was gone, Penny pulled a few additional books and buried herself in reading and making notes about things she wanted to look into more or ask Kura about.
Tea prepared, Mal slipped back into the study and slid one gently steaming cup onto the desk next to Penny. "If Kura's up, I'll bring her a cup," he said quietly before turning to leave the room again, another cup of tea in hand.
Penny glanced up briefly, smiling her thanks and pausing her work to take a few sips before he left. "Thank you, I think she'd appreciate that."
Kura had barely managed any rest and was up and puttering about. She knew there was no use interrupting Penny, especially as grumpy as the older mage was feeling.
Rather warily, Msl hovered outside the door to Kura's room and knocked softly, not wanting to disturb her if she was asleep. "Ah. Kura?" he whisper-called hesitantly. "I, er- I brought tea..."
The tiny voice got her attention and it only took her a few moments to have it flying open. Kura stared at him dully, eyes dark and face pale with exhaustion.
She noticed the cup, though, and flashed him a tired smile. "Trying to cozy up, are you?"
The mage held out her hand to take it and gestured down the hall, assuming he had something he wanted to discuss if he was bothering to do something nice for her at all. "Shall we go sit?"
Mal flashed a cheeky, if slightly sheepish, little smile. "Is it working?" He handed the tea over, then followed her gesture with a quick glance, brow furrowing. "I mean...we can," he said slowly, looking back to the mage, "but I kinda figured you'd just want to, ya know. Rest."
"Oh!" Kura smiled gratefully, glad he hadn't come to talk her ear off about something. It really had been a rather trying last few days for her, much as she didn't let onto it.
"Honestly I've barely slept, so.... This will probably help, thank you." Kura moved to close the door slightly but then paused and poked her head back out to him.
"How...are you two? Doing well?" She asked, purposefully vague.
Mal blinked, a little surprised byt the query. Well, not about Penny, made sense for her to be worried about her charge. More about him. "Um- I'm fine," he mumbled. "Penny seems...alright. Determined as ever."
He gave the older woman a small smile. "I'll make sure she doesn't work too hard, don't worry." He shuffled his feet, glanced over his shoulder, then added, "I'm not a great cook, but I'm gonna try to get her to eat something- you want some food?"
She nodded, glancing down the hall toward the study. "I'm fine, thank you, but that's probably a good idea." Kura stepped back to retreat back to bed. It probably would be best if she just forced herself to lie down for a little while again. "Just don't burn the house down, please?" she teased lightly.
He chuckled quietly and gave her a mock salute. "Ma'am, yes, ma'am."
Well. He'd do his best anyway.
Nodding and smiling at Kura, he made his way back to the kitchen, mentally running through the list of foods he could make without either completely botching it or blowing something up.
It was not a long list.
Penny remained thoroughly buried in her reading. Tea was sipped from time to time, but she drained her cup eventually and realized that Mal had still not returned.
Hoping Kura hadn't eaten him, she hurried to the door to poke her head out with a concerned call, "Mal? Are you alright?"
At her call, Mal stuck his head out of the kitchen. "What? I'm fine." Concern colored his tone and he moved toward her. "Did something happen? Are you alright?"
Actually seeing him calmed the sudden pang of worry that had worked its way into her heart. "Yeah! No, I'm fine. I just, um, realized you were gone still." Setting a hand to her chest she took a few deep breaths, furrowing her brow as she stared at the floor. Something felt a little off, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what that was.
"I'm fine," she repeated softly, flashing a quick smile. "Sorry about that." She moved to retreat back into the study and take her seat at the desk again, but she couldn't shake the odd feeling once he was out of her sight again.
Frowning, Mal ducked back into the kitchen and grabbed a plate, then followed her. "Here, eat," he urged, sliding the plate in front of her. "I, um...made toast."
Two pieces of bread with some cheese melted on top. Probably a little burnt, but it was the best he could manage.
"Oh, um- Okay..." She stared at the food curiously before picking up one corner and wincing at the light char on the underside of the bread. An involuntary hiss escaped her but she was quick to pick it up and lift it to her lips to at least try one bite.
Tough. Dry. But the cheese was melted nicely and helped ease the burnt taste and texture. "Mmm," she hummed, trying very hard to hide the scowl as she ate more.
"Thank you," she told him genuinely, grateful that he'd been thoughtful -or bored- enough to do something kind. "Do you want some?" She nudged the other piece closer to him on the plate.
Mal laughed. He couldn't help it. "No, I'm alright," he assured her. "I know it's not very good, you don't have to pretend," he said with a wry grin, reaching out to tousle her hair affectionately.
She ducked slightly but there really was no easy way to escape it. Mussed hair was just something she was still getting used to with him around, nobody else had ever really dared to play with her so much before.
"No, it's good! I want it!" she insisted, probably a little too enthusiastically. "Just didn't want you to be hungry, but don't bother if you aren't." As if to prove she'd eat the whole plate she took another big bite, just barely hiding the face she made for the too-crunchy bread.
Still chuckling, Mal shook his head and muttered, "Silly girl." He was honestly rather touched that she seemed so determined to eat the damn thing though, lips twitching up on one side into a soft, lopsided smile.
"Not silly," she muttered, cheeks flushed as she continued. "Don't laugh."
"No, not silly," Mal agreed, smiling at her softly. "Sweet." He reached out to ruffle her hair again, then seemed to change his mind halfway through the motion and sort of pet her head instead, running his hand over her hair a few times before drawing back.
All of her attention was focused on the toast as she tried not to make eye contact, seeing as she was already thoroughly flustered over everything with it. "Yeah, well... You can be, too," she mumbled.
He started a bit, then blinked at her, a little taken aback. "I've been called a lot of things in my life," he said after a moment with a slightly forced chuckle, "but I don't think "sweet" has ever been one of them, Pretty Penny."
Penny just rolled her eyes and took another bite of the toast, chewing thoughtfully for a few moments and frankly a little hurt that he'd laughed even though she didn't understand exactly why. Of course he couldn't even take a minor compliment seriously, or so she thought.
"Well maybe that was the one and only time. Ever," she mused.
It was like he was drunk, or possessed. Because without thinking, Mal leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, letting the touch linger a moment before he pulled away slightly and murmured, "I sure as hell hope not. I think I like being sweet for you."
She froze, tensing slightly for the sudden closeness and honestly a little shocked at the little peck of a kiss. For a brief moment she found herself hoping that he'd meant it. But she already knew him quite well as a shameless flirt and couldn't really put that out of her mind either.
Setting her hands down and pushing the plate aside she flashed him a sad little smile and shook her head. Penny leaned forward on her elbows to press a quick kiss to his cheek. "It's a nice idea," she whispered, not wanting to dismiss it if he'd been honest.
"Penny..."
He shouldn't. He really shouldn't. There were so many reasons why it was a bad idea. But again, it was almost like he didn't have full control over himself-
No, that wasn't true. He was conpletely in control, he was just operating in a strange sort of almost-daze. Reaching up, Mal caught her chin between his fingers and turned his head to press a quick, soft peck on her lips.
Then what he'd done seemed to actually register and he jumped back as though her touch had burned him. "I- I'm-" Wide eyed, he shook his head and started for the door. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."
It was so sudden she barely registered that it had happened at all before he was jumping away, but... She felt something new for it, tiny as it was: the slightest lurch in her chest and a flash of warmth across her skin where he'd touched.
To see him retreating from her so quickly, though, Penny could only feel like he deeply regretted his decision. There was a certain hurt in her eyes as she turned her head to let her hair serve as a curtain between them. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out at first. What was there to even say to that?
"Don't be sorry," she whispered, almost hoping he wouldn't hear her in his hurry to be away.
Mal heard her. He stopped in the doorway and glanced back at her, eyes shifting uncomfortably. "Penny."
He sighed, running his hand through his hair and looking away with a frustrated little groan. "I should be sorry. I really shouldn't have done that. Won't happen again," he bit out, brow furrowing.
Penny tilted her head slightly to look at him. He seemed nervous and maybe a little upset.
Nodding, she forced herself to pick up her book and try to re-find her place again, but it didn't seem right to just leave it at that. "Mal... I wouldn't- You don't have to be sorry." She took a shaky breath and raised her book up some to serve as a shield. "I liked that," she admitted in a mumble.
Keeping his back to her, Mal sighed again. "That's the problem," he muttered. "Penny- you heard what Da said. This- it's not a good idea."
She frowned at the reminder. While it was what he'd advised that didn't change what she felt with Mal around at all.
"Maybe your father isn't always right," she suggested, shrugging and setting her book down to continue reading, accepting that he would probably be leaving no matter what she said judging by his posture in the doorway.
His heart clenched painfully. Gods- the amount of times he'd thought that, and she said it the one time he was afraid Adrian really was right.
"Maybe," he muttered. "But..." He glanced back at her and his voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say.
"Gods, I wish things were different." He slipped out of the room.
Her eyes flicked up to watch him go, a thoughtful frown settling upon her lips. What had he meant by that? She flipped through the pages distractedly, wondering if he might have been cursing their unusual circumstances or wishing they'd never met at all.
She kept herself more or less busy, though, occasionally picking at the cold toast as she read and continued taking notes.
Mal paced around the main room of the little house, frowning and muttering to himself. He would have like to go for a quick flight, or a least a walk, but he couldn't get any further from Penny there where he was now.
Wonderful. What had be been thinking? Oh, that's right, I wasn't! Growling quietly, he sank into a chair- the chair he'd fixed- and buried his head in his hands.
The same odd sensation slowly overwhelmed her the longer they were separated. It was partially concern, and yet she could also almost feel the heavy cloud of frustration across the walls separating them.
Finally taking a self-imposed break when it became too much to bear, Penny gathered the dishes on the table quietly and padded out to the kitchen. She was careful not to stare, only glancing over at him in the main room for a brief moment before she kept going. Almost immediately, though, she noticed how seeing him seemed to cause the odd feeling to gradually abate.
Mal could hear her moving toward the kitchen and forced himself to stay sitting, resisting the urge to jump to his feet and trail after her like some sort of loyal puppy.
This was ridiculous. They needed to break this bond, it was getting out of hand.
Penny busied herself washing up and putting everything away. It was hard to just be silent, though, and she paused on her way back out to offer, "Need anything while I'm up?"
"Hm? No, I'm fine. Thanks." He twisted to give her a quick, forced smile. "Just, you know...keep at it, but don't work yourself to hard."
"I won't," she promised with an apologetic smile, knowing full well she was going to keep up the relentless pace.
"But let me know if you need anything. You know where I'll be." She gave a sad little laugh but continued on to the study to resume her work.
"Yeah..." Mal watched her go, then slumped back into the chair with a sigh, feeling twitchy and anxious the second she was out of sight. And he wasn't entirely sure anymore that it was just from the bond.
Gods, he was so screwed.
With one book finished and plenty of daylight remaining Penny moved on to the next, this one claiming to be a study of the Fae. She sat in relative quiet until Kura emerged from her room near sunset, the mage in a much better mood after a bit of a nap.
"So tell me," she prompted from the doorway, slinking her way inside before Penny could dismiss her and claim to be busy. "If not a solution, what did you find?"
"Information," the young mage sighed, setting her book down and carefully ensuring that the spine was hidden from Kura. In an attempt to distract her, she pushed the borrowed book across the desk to her. "Does Adrian Denan sound familiar to you?"
Kura furrowed her brow in thought and looked down at the book with interest. "...Maybe- But isn't that your phoenix's name? Denan?" Penny just rolled her eyes and hummed in acknowledgement. It seemed clear to her that Kura hadn't been paying much attention when Mal had spoken of his father before.
"Yes, Denan. Adrian is his father. Well, adoptive father. He seemed to have reason to believe that this book might be useful to you, so he let me borrow it," she explained, hiding a yawn behind her hand as she stretched and rolled her shoulders.
Kura nodded, still trying to recall where else she knew the name from and put it to a face. "Essryni," she murmured, thumbing through a few pages. From what she recognized of the language with rusty eyes seemed to be something about dragons, though.
"I'll have to brush up on it," she admitted, not wanting to come to any hasty conclusions. She flashed her student an encouraging smile. "But I'll tell you what I find. You just...don't worry about your studies, yeah? I won't assign you anything else until you've got this all sorted. I know it's important to you."
Penny smiled her thanks but felt a little bad that she was essentially going to be nothing more than a glorified house guest for the time being. "Thank you." Well, she tried to sound grateful.
Mal watched Kura move toward the study and started forward, then changed his mind and hung back, not wanting to intrude. When it seemed that there was a lull in conversation, he cautiously approached to lean against the door frame.
"How's it going?" he asked with a small smile, looking from Penny to her teacher. "Hope that's usefu," he added with a nod to book his father had lent her.
Penny started at the sound of his voice, looking up with a forced smile even though she knew she hadn't made any headway. "It's going," she chirped.
Kura glanced up at him and then to the book again. "We'll see. I'll give it a read," she promised. Then with a curious glint in her eyes she turned to him thoughtfully. "You don't...have any dragon's blood in you, do you?"
Mal smiled crookedly. "Nah. Least I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that's not possible." He shrugged and added wryly, "But Da did find me in the Thunderblacks... I seriously doubt it though. I don't think my kind can, er- crossbreed that way."
Kura hummed thoughtfully, smiling and then standing up with the book to gesture at the chair for him in offering thinking he'd come to be with Penny. "A lot of things are possible with magic," she chuckled and moved to the bookshelves to pluck down a small little notebook with such certainty that Penny could only give her a questioning look for it. How did she always manage to be lost in this room yet Kura always knew where everything was?
"Make sure you clean up in here at some point," Kura chastised gently on her way for the door. "It's a mess."
Mal hesitated, then took the offered chair slowly, carefully not looking directly at Penny. "Pass a book over here, I'll see what I can find."
Penny nodded, eyes following her teacher until she was out of sight. She was curious why Kura had asked about a dragon, blue eyes flicking to him thoughtfully and sitting in slightly awkward silence for a moment before what he'd said registered.
"Oh... Here." She pushed the second volume of the Fae books his way. "It's mostly history, but- Tell me if you find anything about Fae magic, any spells or just...anything weird. I'll read it anyway, I think, but you might help me find something faster." She flashed a grateful smile, somehow incredibly comforted by his presence again.
He gave a small smile and took the book. "Fae, huh? You know, I was always fascinated by stories about them as a kid," he commented, completely oblivious. Then he snorted and added, "Though maybe I should have been paying more attention to stories about Fell creatures. Dragons and firebirds and such."
"Really? What did you like about them?" she asked, amused by the irony he didn't seem privy to.
Mal shrugged, flipping through the book. "Dunno. The mystery, I guess. These ethereal beings who occasionally slip into human history. Just something compelling about it, ya know?"
Slip?
Penny lifted her head slightly from her book to blink at him for a moment. "But they're everywhere. Nothing really mysterious about them. Sure there's not many now, but they're not exactly in hiding."
"Well, yeah." He shrugged again, glancing up at her. "Sure, if you know where to look. But it's just- I don't really know," he admitted, laughing. "There's just this draw for me I guess. Da would probably yammer on about balance: I'm Fell, I'm the flipside of that coin, the...counterbalance I guess."
She smiled sadly, realizing a little bit more -by his definition at least- why it seemed she was so drawn to him. Really, why it seemed they were drawn to each other.
"You don't have to look far," she promised. "But I really think you should brush up on your, um, fairy-hunting skills. They're rather dull."
His brow furrowed and he looked up at her again. "What do you mean by that?" he asked with a small laugh, tilting his head and looking at her in bemusement.
Penny glanced past him to the door, as if expecting Kura to be there to help her with an explanation. The mage had known immediately what she was when they'd met years ago, but now she wondered if that had just been an innate skill of hers to detect such a thing or "see" her hidden features.
Bringing her attention back to Mal she merely gestured at herself with a sheepish little smile. "I...thought you were just teasing me," she admitted, giving a nervous laugh before she continued to explain, "I'm half Fae. From my father. My mother is a human, though."
Eyes widening, he opened his mouth- and no sound came out. For a long moment, he just stared at her.
Eventually, he managed to get out, "Oh..."
Coughing, Mal ducked his head, feeling his cheeks flush. "You must think I'm an idiot," he said with a quiet, awkward laugh.
She knew by his reaction that he truly hadn't known. It made her feel all the worse for it, but she was glad to at least have it out in the open.
"No, not an idiot," she insisted, shaking her head and fidgeting a little awkwardly in her seat. "I just thought that everyone could see. Thought everyone could tell."
Mal frowned at her, puzzled by that response. "What makes you think that?" he asked, tilting his head. "I mean- I guess you've got pretty distinctive coloring, but you're Serenian! At least, that's what I assumed..."
Penny nodded eagerly in agreement, not wanting to confuse him any further with the information. "I am! Well, my mother is. And I was born here."
She didn't quite know how to explain something she'd never even seen for herself. Her father had always spoken of how beautiful her wings were but she'd always thought it was just to make her feel like she had any chance of ever being like him.
"Maybe I look different to some people," she mused, shrugging with a clueless little smile. "Kura seemed to know, but maybe she's good at guessing." Others at home had known, too, but she had never quite realized that it was simply because her parents were open with their neighbors.
Looking at her- really looking at her for the first time since he'd kissed her- Mal smiled a bit. "I wonder if that's something one could learn," he mused. "Maybe she'd teach me. I'd...like to see that. You. Whatever she saw."
For some reason that made her cheeks warm. It certainly wasn't any sort of compliment, but it seemed deeply personal all the same.
"Maybe if you ask nicely?" Penny laughed softly, nervously dropping her eyes and shaking her head to return to her book. The words on the page scrolling by didn't register, though, distracted in thought as she tried to remember what it was she'd been told about herself, her true self.
"Wings," she mumbled. "Sparkling wings. And something about markings."
Mal watched her, eyes softening. "I guess we're more alike than I thought," he murmured without thinking.
"Well maybe," she muttered nervously, glancing up at him. "I don't know if any of it's true. I've never actually seen, but-" She wanted to hope. To herself it would mean that she might actually have potential if she managed it some day.
With a clueless tilt to her head she sighed and gave him a bashful little shrug as she remembered to finish her sentence, "I'd love to."
Smiling at her, Mal reached across the desk unthinkingly to stroke her cheek briefly with the back of his hand. "I'm sure you'll get there."
He dropped his hand and looked down at his book again, brow furrowing in thought. "Penny..." he said slowly after a moment. "Half fae... Does that- affect your lifespan at all?"
Even as he said it he winced. Wow, Mal. Subtle.
A bit of tension in her gut she hadn't even realized she'd been holding onto relaxed at his touch. The young mage just smiled softly for the tender moment, enjoying it while it lasted and leaning into his touch a bit.
For his question, though, her eyes just flickered between the two books before them and the third, unopened volume beside her on the desk. Her heart gave an annoying little thump as she guessed a possible reason for it.
"Well... Maybe these could tell us more, but I would hope so." She smiled knowingly, shaking her head slightly, "I don't think he's immortal exactly, but my father doesn't even remember how old he is anymore. Can you believe that? But... I don't know if he would have passed a gift like that on to me. Besides my sister I don't think I know any others like us."
It was a nice thought, though. "Suppose I'd find out if the world kept moving and I stayed the same," she teased lightly.
"I...suppose so," Mal murmured, frowning.
Not looking up from his book, he ventured slowly, "If- if you did. Live. For a while. Would you...even want someone around who was constantly starting over? Becoming a child and growing up, then living for a century or two before the whole thing started up again."
Of course, if they couldn't get this bond thing worked out, she might not have much of a choice in the matter.
She vaguely recalled that being something she'd heard before about his kind but she hadn't known that was exactly their way.
Propping her cheek against her palm she tried to keep reading as she thought on it but found her eyes constantly wandering back to him. "If that someone was you... I don't think I would mind."
He started, glancing up at her. "Penny..."
Gods, she was not making this easy. He gave a short, bitter chuckle and shook his head. "You're sweet," he muttered, trying to turn his attention back to his book.
"Just honest." She shrugged, laughing quietly but letting it lie in favor of trying to read again. After a few moments, though, she found herself reaching out across the table to gently grasp his wrist.
Mal started, looking up at her. "Um, yeah?" He assumed she'd found something, or maybe wanted him to look at another book.
Penny's eyes went wide at the question, uncertain what he meant at first. She looked between them and then to where she was attempting some small form of contact and flushed slightly. "I just, uh- Wanted-" She shook her head and then mumbled, "It feels better like this. To touch."
He actually groaned out loud, closing his eyes in frustration. "Gods, why'd you have to say that?" Mal muttered.
Before he could think, could second guess himself, he leaned across the desk and caught her lips in a kiss. It wasn't a quick peck this time, but the touch was still soft, gentle. He flipped his hand around to curl his fingers around her wrist in turn.
She didn't quite understand his reaction, concerned and wondering at first if perhaps he didn't feel the same pull to her that she'd been feeling for him. But he cleared that up pretty quickly.
Penny froze for the brush of lips, eyes flicking to observe him curiously as she tensed and prepared for him to spring away from her like he'd done before. When that didn't come, though, she quite easily melted into his touch to mold her lips to his own, eyes closing gently and tilting her head slightly to invite him further.
No longer needing the wary little brush of fingers her hand grasped him more firmly, almost desperately. A soft sound escaped her, not knowing how to ask him to stay but just knowing that she wanted it, craved it and all the little feelings their kiss sparked within her.
Mal broke away just slightly, sighing against her lips. Brow furrowing, he pulled back and stood, taking a moment to simply look at her, as though he was debating something.
Then he moved around the desk and bent to cup her face in his hands, moving in to kiss her again.
When he pulled away Penny just stared after him, letting her hand fall away in defeat. A small frown twitched at her lips as she watched him, not knowing what to say but thinking that he definitely looked like he was considering something. She glanced to the door and frowned more, trying to will him not to go. It seemed like her wish would be granted for the moment, at least.
Penny scooted back in her seat, leaning into his touch and rising up slightly to meet him for another kiss. She hummed softly, lifting her hands to run up along his arms and rest at the nape of his neck with a gentle pressure.
A low crooning sound thrummed in the back of Mal's throat and he leaned forward, dropping his arms to wrap around her waist and pull her up against him.
She was kissing him back. Honestly, he'd sort of expected her to push him away. Taking advantage of the fact that she wasn't, he tilted his head into the kiss and gently drew her bottom lip between his teeth for a moment, testing.
She settled on her feet easily enough, stretching up a bit on her toes to reach him a bit better while her hands locked more firmly around his neck. Her heart felt like it was both racing and stopped all at once and suddenly things were changing.
A sharp, hissing gasp escaped her for the slight pressure but she only pressed herself more firmly against him for it. Hands trailed up along his throat to cup his face instead, curious if he'd allow it and eager to touch wherever he'd permit her.
The crooning turned into a soft groan and he slid one hand to the small of her back, the other reaching up to tangle in her hair as he parted his lips over hers, pressing her as close as she would let him.
Breaking away for a moment of air, Mal drew in a ragged breath and pressed quick little kisses to the tip of her nose, then her brow. "Gods, Penny," he rumbled, letting his forehead rest against hers for a moment.
A little shiver rose up her back for the shifting of hands but a low whine rose up in her throat to be parted from him again, even as she panted for breath. There was a little tease of a thrill ghosting up her neck with every little tender touch of lips to her face.
She licked her lips lightly, trying to will her heart to calm in her chest but it just wasn't happening. Since he hadn't pushed her away she trailed one hand down along his shoulder and chest, looping out along his side to try and hold herself against him with it at his waist.
Opening her eyes for a moment somehow made her dizzy so she quickly shut them again, leaning into Mal and pressing her hips against him with a playful little twist.
Her free hand traced up, lingering along his jaw and cheekbone before settling to tug gently at the ends of his hair. Standing up a little straighter to reach, she pressed light kisses at the corner of his mouth. "You," she whispered, uncertain of what she wanted to say as she tried a few more before leaning up to brush her lips more fully against his own. "Taste good."
Mal's eyes closed and he groaned again at that, kissing her fiercely. His hand trailed from her waist to her hip, pulling her flush against him.
"You," he growled in reply when he finally broke away from the kiss to trail his lips over her jaw. "Are sweet." A kiss behind her ear. "Everywhere."
Another low growl and the hand in her hair slid to the back of her neck, tilting her head back so he could get at her neck.
Shivering at his words, Penny found herself leaning away a little bit at a time in odd little squirms of delight as his lips brushed places she was quite certain had never been touched by anyone else. She'd had her share of chaste little pecks in years past but this was passion.
"Mal," she panted breathlessly. She moved easily with his guidance, grateful that he knew what he wanted. With a soft moan she took it a step further, tilting her head to the side to give him free access to what he so clearly sought.
The way she said his name sent a shiver up his spine and he trailed hungry kisses down her neck to the slope of her shoulder. "Gods be damned," he hissed against her skin.
Latching onto the curve of her shoulder, he dropped his hands to her hips and easily lifted her up, spinning to hoist her up onto the desk and pressing into her for another kiss on her mouth.
It was like all the tension he felt when they were apart just snapped, sparking the fire that ran through his veins into an inferno.
Not quite expecting to be lifted, a shaky gasp of surprise and short laugh escaped her as she clumsily tried to situate herself on the table. Hastily pushing books aside where she could, Penny set a hand back to lean on and left the other to wander up and tangle into his hair.
She gave a light tug to pull herself up to meet him with a happy sigh, lips moving hungrily against his own to wordlessly ask for more.
Breathing shakily, Mal hummed against her mouth and parted his lips into the kiss, clutching at her back and hair to hold her against him.
Taking the hand from her hair to trail down her spine, he slid it across the table to wrap his fingers around the hand she was using for support, pressing in as close as he could to her.
Quickly scooting herself closer to him on the edge of the table for support Penny fumbled her hand around to hold his own and lace their fingers together. Feeling dizzy again, she leaned away just barely to press light kisses to his cheek and jaw while she tried to catch her breath a bit.
"Mal, I- This is..." But Penny couldn't form the words to describe the feeling of her heart threatening to leap from her chest or the thrilling rush through her blood as an unusual warmth slowly enveloped her.
Smiling to herself she just shook her head and leaned in to press another kiss to his mouth, this time experimenting with a gentle trace of her tongue along his lower lip.
"Yeah," Mal muttered, voice rough. "I know." He kissed her back gently, but at the touch of her tongue he gave a low growl and grabbed at her waist, fingers digging into her skin as he pressed her closer.
His breathing was coming in ragged little pants now and he forced himself to break away, letting his head fall onto her shoulder. "Gods, Penny," he whispered, half laughing. "You're going to be the death of me."
Head still a little fuzzy, Penny leaned to rest her head against his own to try and gather her thoughts. Idle fingers carded gently through his hair, just enjoying the brief moment where things finally seemed to be going right.
"Don't want that," she whispered, turning to press a kiss to his ear. Releasing his hand, she reached out to touch along his waist up to his shoulder where she hugged him as if they could be any closer than they already were.
That same crooning noise rose up in his throat and Mal tilted his head into her touch, wrapping his arms around her back and shoulders to hold her against his chest.
"This..." He turned to feather kisses along her jaw. "This is such a bad idea."
Saying it aloud didn't stop him from trailing his lips down to her neck, then her collar.
She frowned slightly in thought at that. She didn't want to be remembered as a bad idea. But if it really wasn't something they should be doing why were they still doing it?
"...I don't think you really believe it." It was a challenge, but she was willing to risk it seeing as it didn't seem like he planned on actually doing anything about it. Bad ideas shouldn't kiss like that. Bad ideas shouldn't make her feel like that. Right?
Penny gasped for the kisses on such sensitive skin. He sparked odd, little burning shocks that she couldn't form words to describe. Instead she just stretched back, head lolling to the side in an attempt to see what in the world was causing such a wonderful feeling.
"Gods, Mal," she moaned softly, fingers twitching at his back to dig in for support while she squirmed against him.
He growled at her challenge, letting his teeth graze lightly over her skin. The way she said his name had him shivering and clenching his eyes shut, groaning quietly against her.
Her squirming wasn't helping either, and he dropped his hands to her thighs in an effort to hold her still, pulling back to look at her face and panting lightly. "I- Penny..."
He couldn't think of words to convey what he was trying to say and just shook his head, closing his eyes and letting out a low breath.
Penny rolled her head forward again to look down at her lap, confused for a moment as she stared at his hands but determining he probably didn't like her fidgeting.
Her eyes searched his face with concern, hands relaxing slightly to rub along his shoulders. "It's okay," she whispered, not quite knowing what she was trying to soothe him from but feeling the need to comfort the phoenix. Smiling softly, she leaned in to press a kiss to his brow and then another against his temple.
A soft sigh escaped him at the touch and he leaned into her unconsciously. "It's not, really," he muttered, closing his eyes. "Even if I wasn't- if there wasn't all this other stuff tangled up around us..."
Mal trailed off, swallowing. Part of him was shouting for him to just shut up, the other part thought he should continue his train of thought. "You're young, Penny," he murmured, nudging his forehead against hers. "And...well, you heard Da. I'm not exactly a saint here."
Which he'd never really felt guilty about before now.
Penny frowned, eyes flickering to search his face yet again in confusion. Why was any of that important to him? Why did age matter? He'd already admitted they were quite close in age so she wasn't really buying that it was actually a problem.
"I thought you..." She swallowed hard against the knot of fear rising in her throat. Should she even be voicing such a thing?
"I feel something more than that, something bigger than the magic," she whispered, suddenly feeling a little vulnerable to be exposing such a thing to him.
See, now why did she have to go and say something like that? With a soft groan, Mal muttered, "I am trying to do the right thing by you here, and you are not making it easy, Pretty Penny."
He dipped to kiss the side of her neck again. "Yes," he whispered against her skin. "Yes, there's something more than the magic. But that doesn't mean- this really isn't good for you."
She didn't like hearing that. While she respected his opinion, who was he to say what was correct and what wasn't?
Penny sighed softly for the brush of lips against her skin, automatically leaning a little closer for it. Somehow it made her heart hurt to hear that he knew it and perhaps even felt something similar and yet was choosing to ignore it. She didn't understand why he suddenly spoke of what was good for her when his father had seemed concerned about him.
"But... I've never felt this way about anyone else," she whispered sadly, clinging to him in a tight hug as if she might be able to will him to stay and adding with a stubborn pout, "It doesn't feel wrong at all. Just... Happy. And good. Warm."
Another thought entered her mind, causing another tight clenching in her chest as she wondered if he was just trying to politely let her down. "Do you not feel the same way?"
The hesitance made his heart ache. "Oh, Penny," he sighed, letting his arms slip around her middle to tug her against him. "I do," he muttered. "Of course I do. I just-"
He gave a frustrated little groaned, burying his face in the curve of her neck and shoulder. "What happens if- if something goes wrong?" he muttered, not wanting to think about it but desperately trying to make her see sense.
"We're literally stuck together, Penny. What happens if- I don't know, if you change your mind, but you can't get more than twenty paces from me?" His voice rose just a bit as he talked, frustration plain in his tone.
She brought a hand up to tangle in his hair and cradle his head against her while pressing against him as best as she could. It felt so good to have his arms around her and yet she felt a little guilty to see how much he was struggling with himself for it.
Penny wasn't clueless, she did understand there were certain things in the world she'd simply never had to experience the unpleasantness of. Still, in the moment at least, she couldn't think of anything that could possibly happen or that he could do that might make her change her mind.
"What do you think would be so bad that I'd want that? What could go wrong with this?" she asked sadly, laughing quietly in disbelief.
He gave a bitter little chuckle. "I don't know," he murmured, nuzzling against her cheek. "I don't know, but...it could happen. And even if it didn't-"
He sighed, closing his eyes. "Penny...I wouldn't remember you. Not for years. Each cycle, every time I'd start over, I'd be a child, and it would take me years to remember everything that happened in my previous lives."
He couldn't put her through that. It wasn't fair.
Well that tidbit of information certainly held a lot of weight. Still, Penny almost immediately determined that it wasn't disconcerting.
"But you would remember, right? Eventually?" That didn't seem so bad. She couldn't quite think far enough ahead to determine the logistics of getting him to that point or how lonely it might be to suddenly not be remembered by someone she very well might share an incredible amount of time with.
It didn't seem like such an awful thing, though, especially if he wouldn't truly be gone. She could certainly think of a few things that might be more painful to deal with.
"Would you rather forget about me?" she asked, silently cursing herself for the sudden, slight hitch to her voice.
Mal pulled back to look at her, eyes wide as he met her gaze. "Oh, Penny," he whispered, reaching up to cup her face in his hands. "Of course not." He leaned forward to peck the tip of her nose.
"I would remember, eventually," he muttered. "But...would you really want to put yourself through that? None of this is going to be easy."
She closed her eyes against the almost painful tenderness. Funny he could talk about not being easy when things already seemed so complicated between them.
"I want to help you, but there's this...feeling. Here." She lifted a hand to rest over her heart. "It's been getting stronger every day. Just this...dread, Mal. Like I'm going to lose a part of myself if you were gone. It scares me."
He knew it scared her. He could hear it in her voice. "I won't go," he murmured, not even thinking before the words left his mouth. "Even once the binding's broken- I'd stay as long as you wanted me, Penny."
A shaky sigh of relief escaped her for that, startling her as she hadn't even realized how much that fear had been bothering her before. It had just been a weight on her chest but now it had a name.
Instead of words of thanks or more apologies she just hugged him, arms wrapping around him with a fierce strength. "Then we have no problem," she reminded him.
"Well- in the short term, no," he admitted, unable to come up with another viable argument in that moment. It felt too good to hold her, to have her arms around him.
"Gods, Penny." Tilting his head, Mal pressed a kiss to her temple and drew her closer against his chest, feeling her heart beat and letting out a soft breath.
She felt a bit bad that he seemed so troubled still, but it felt so nice to be close and know there was at least a small sliver of certainty she could count on regardless of what else happened. Penny knew she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she kept him against his will, but if he wanted to stay what harm was there in that?
A happy hum escaped her as they embraced, just enjoying the warmth of his chest against her own in their moment of peace. "Things will work themselves out," she tried to encourage, trying to lighten the mood. "Don't you worry your pretty head over it."
Mal chuckled quietly at that, shaking his head. "Pretty head, really?" He pecked her cheek, then moved to her lips again, muttering, "Remind me not to let you talk too much."
Penny leaned in to press a light kiss to his lips but little more than that as she gave him a questioning, challenging look. "And why not? What's wrong with that?"
"Aside from the blow to my masculinity? Nothing," he chuckled, reaching up to brush his thumb across her cheek in an attempt to soothe the stern look off her face.
"But you are pretty! Well, for a man, I guess. Handsome?" She smiled, letting him smooth over the lines she'd created without complaint. "But if you don't like it I won't say anything, I'm sorry," she teased, happy that the mood between them could be light again.
Mal shook his head, mock scowling at her. "Let's stick with handsome," he muttered, pecking the tip of her nose lightly. He kept his hand on her cheek, letting his thumb stroke lightly back and forth.
Penny laughed a little for that, closing her eyes briefly for the sweet little peck. Opening them again though, she just leaned into his touch, cheeks warm as she stared at the gold of his eyes with a particular fondness.
Mal met her eyes and smiled softly, almost baffled by this funny little human girl who had him so easily enthralled, bound by magic or not.
With a reluctant sigh, he leaned forward to place a chaste kiss on her lips and murmured, "I really should let you get back to work..."
Penny hummed, leaning in to press a final kiss to his chin. "That really doesn't sound like something you want to do," she teased. Finally chancing a look around them, she laughed under her breath for the mess of shoved aside books and papers.
"I don't," Mal admitted easily. "But I also don't want Kura to come in here, see this-" he gestured between the two of them and the bit of a mess they'd made. "And decide to take it our of my hide."
"I don't think she would." Okay, she wasn't entirely certain about that. Kura was a very kind and understanding woman, but Penny wasn't sure she was ready to understand something like that.
"Probably best, though," she sighed, patting his chest gently to try and coax him to step back so she could scoot off the table without making a complete fool of herself. "Will you at least, um, read with me still? Until it gets too dark?"
He stepped back, a little reluctantly but knowing he needed to, and nodded at her with a small smile. "Course I will," he promised easily, ducking to peck her cheek one last time before he stepped back again to give her some space.
She smiled her thanks and hopped down, embarrassing as it was to suddenly stand and wobble as she got her bearings again. After running quick hands down her body to smooth out her clothes Penny turned sharply to sit down again and scoot herself right up to the desk.
Looking over everything, she reached out with a sheepish little smile to straighten up everything before pulling the book she'd been reading before closer than the rest. "Maybe...we can do that again sometime," she offered, flushing brightly and glancing up at him for only a brief moment before she was bowing her head to focus on the words on the pages again.
Mal smirked wickedly at her blush. Moving up behind her, he dipped to press a kiss to the curve of her neck, then moved up to give her ear a light nibble.
"That sounds pretty good to me," he murmured, chuckling darkly, then pulled away and crossed back to his side of the desk, sitting and pulling up his own book casually.
The kiss was nice but the slight brush of teeth made her jump a little. She only blushed more once she realized it was only in surprise and she actually hadn't minded it at all.
"Mmm." She took a shaky breath and forced herself to continue her work. No good could possibly come of letting him distract her again so soon.
It was worth it, at least. A couple of chapters in and she was already finding interesting snippets of information she wanted to see if she might be able to verify with Kura or her father if she didn't know. "Find anything?" she murmured, not bothering to look up as she continued reading.
Mal gave a frustrated, noncommittal sort of noise. "Not really. I mean, some snippets about how to get in tune with natural magical affinities, but not much else," he muttered.
"What?" she practically squawked, head lifting sharply to look across the table at his book. "Where? Show me, let me read."
A little taken aback, Mal said quickly, "Um, here," and spun the book around so she could read, tapping the appropriate passage. "It seems to be just a lot about meditation and centering yourself, you know. How to better acquaint yourself with your own magic, that kinda thing."
Penny leaned forward to read it, eyes flitting quickly in her excitement. It named a few things she was rather unfamiliar with: balance mostly and letting magic find the user rather than reaching for it. Perhaps it was outdated or simply not meant for her, though.
She leaned back, a thoughtful look on her face as she mulled it over and leaned back to her side of the table to scribble a note about it. More than anything it bothered her that Kura had never thought to try such a thing with her, at least she assumed so.
"That seems useful if... I know how to call it," she mused, glancing up at him with a frown. "But I don't know how to use it."
He shrugged. "I thought all of this kinda stuff was useless until I learned what I was. Then something clicked I guess, and- well, personally I'm not great at meditation, but that's really a phoenix thing. We don't settle easily. But there's plenty of other tricks."
He flashed her a quick smile. "You should talk to Kura, see what she recommends."
She nodded, agreeing that it honestly seemed a little useless at her "stage" of development if that was what was happening to her at all.
"I bet she'll tell me I need to go back to basics and not worry about this," Penny sighed, rolling her eyes. "She's never...tried anything like that with me. Never wanted me to find out if I had any real talent."
Of course, she was completely ignoring that Kura only wanted her to master what nearly anyone with a tiny bit of natural skill could learn before diving into the endlessness that was her true magic. She didn't want the poor girl to drown, so there simply was no reason to expose her to it. Kura would never have taken on such a long-term student if she hadn't known of her power.
Mal reached over to touch her hand, smiling kindly. "I'm sure that's not true," he said quietly. "Magic is complicated, Penny. She probably just has her own way of going about teaching you."
It was silly how such a subtle thing actually helped her feel a little more calm about it. That and he actually had a reasonable answer, one she'd pondered herself but simply found frustrating. "Just doesn't really seem real unless I feel it or see it," she admitted, turning her hand slightly to brush her fingers against his own.
"With your father- That test? That was the most I've ever felt, but it was gone so quickly."
He nodded in understanding. "That's the thing about magic that's a pain in the ass," he chuckled quietly, gently changing the touch to holding her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. "It all seems so impossible, like it's not really there, and then something clicks and suddenly you're wondering why you couldn't see it your whole life."
It seemed plausible, but she wished she could truly understanding his meaning. "I'll keep that in mind. You know, when it actually decides to show up, see if you're right."
She flashed a quick smile of thanks before lowering her eyes to her own book again, content to just use her one hand and allow them to remain touching as they were with the other. It felt warm and calming, and she certainly didn't see anything wrong with it, especially since he'd initiated.
"I'll see what else I can find."
Mal nodded, turning his attention to his own book an flicking through the pages. "I'll let you know if I come across anything else useful," he murmured, squeezing her fingers lightly.
Through her reading Penny came across an interesting passage of the feats of fairy magic, but was disappointed to find it mostly had to do with healing, growth, and the land. It was an interesting read, at least, but the light was fading fast and she found herself gradually leaning closer to the page and squinting to keep going.
As the light started to go, Mal glanced up at Penny more and more often. Finally, when she was just about asleep on her book, he tugged her hand lightly. "Oi. Penny. C'mon, that's enough for today. Let's get something to eat and call it a night, yeah?"
Starting slightly at the sudden jerk Penny sat up straight and just blinked at him with wide, confused eyes. "Enough? But I'm not done yet," she protested. Even saying that, though, her eyes wandered to the door. What she'd eaten of the burnt toast hadn't exactly been the most filling meal.
After a bit of hesitation she finally decided it would be better to just go along with it than argue with him. It seemed he was quite capable of getting his way when he really wanted it and she didn't want to make him remind her of that. "Well, okay... Maybe Kura cooked some-" Penny winced. Kura had been doing practically all the cooking with her attention so focused on their binding.
"Maybe I can make something for us all," she corrected. Carefully marking her place and closing the book, Penny moved to stand up.
"Let me help," Mal said quickly, standing as well. He gave her a crooked grin. "I know I'm a lousy cook, but I can at least help with, y'know, fetching things and setting up."
She giggled at that but thought better of actually agreeing or insulting him for the effort. It had been kind and not wholly inedible after all. "Well that depends. Are firebirds any good at fetch?" she teased, turning to head toward the door.
Coming up behind her, Mal wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her back against his chest, dipping his head to press a heated kiss to the nape of her neck.
"We're good at lots of things," he whispered before letting her go and stepping back innocently.
Penny bit her lip against the sound of surprise that almost escaped her but she couldn't hide the slight shiver of excitement that ran through her for him grabbing her so suddenly. Turning slightly to give him a chastising look she just shook her head and moved to continue along her way. "Really? Like what? Might need to put you to work around here."
Mal chuckle and followed after her, two steps behind. "Gods, it's a good thing you're pretty," he teased. "I was flirting, Penny."
Glancing around, he added with a shrug, "But if you want to give me more to do around here I won't argue. I gotta pay you and Kura back somehow."
"I knew that." She pouted for a moment, a little disappointed he hadn't seemed to notice she'd only meant to be playful with it.
"Pay us back? Mal there's nothing to pay us back for." She frowned, padding down the hall distractedly. It was dark, though, the moon not quite high enough to peek through the windows yet. The sole, magical flame at the kitchen hearth served as her only guide besides memory. At least it seemed they would be free to cook with Kura still in her room.
"Course there is," he said, following her into the kitchen. "Room and board, for one thing."
Slipping up beside her, he ducked to press a kiss to her cheek, a little thrill going through him that he seemed to have permission to do that now. "You're adorable when you pout, by the way."
Penny smiled for that and hummed softly, surprised by how easy it was to accept, how natural it felt already. "Flatterer," she accused playfully.
Stepping up to the cupboards she searched around for a few moments in silence as she tried to decide what to make. "Could you grab the big pot? It's at the bottom over there." She gestured to the far side of the kitchen. "And you know... Room and board kind of comes for free when you're forced to stay with me. Wouldn't be right of us to let you starve or sleep on the floor."
Mal rummaged around until he found the pot and hefted in his arms as he crossed back over to her. "Yeah, well. I still don't like feeling like I'm a freeloader."
She pat the counter distractedly next to a small assortment of vegetables she'd managed to gather before fumbling around for a knife. "I hate to ask, but... Could you light the lanterns, please? Can hardly see anything with all this shadow," she complained lightly, brow furrowing in concentration as she worked.
He grinned crookedly. "See, now that I can do."
All it took was a click of his fingers and little flames burst to light in every lantern, flaring high for a moment before he made a small crooning sound, almost like soothing a frightened child, and they settled back to give small, steady glows.
Her eyes went wide at the sudden flood of light. She leaned back and snapped her head around to watch them settle with the happiest little grin on her face. "That's enough to pay for today," she teased, sighing appreciatively as she scooped up everything and threw it into the pot.
After adding some water and setting the pot out above the fire to cook she turned to him with a thoughtful look and asked, "Have I made bread for us? I think that might have been the day before you got here..."
He tilted his head at her. "Ah- I believe you offered me toast and eggs when I first arrived, yes." his lips twitched into a small smirk and he added, "You were afraid I might be offended by the idea of eating eggs."
She blushed some and laughed a little for that, shaking her head and turning to give the pot a stir. "Well can you blame me? Would've been awful if you couldn't eat that if I'd just assumed, but- I think I might make some in the morning. That sound good? Might be too much with dinner."
"Hey, if it's free food, I'm not complaining," Mal joked. He shuffled up beside her and watched her cook with interest.
"See, I swear I do the exact same things you're doing and it always turns out wrong," he huffed, wrapping an arm around her waist and moving closer to press against her side.
She smirked at that, shaking her head. "No, you must be doing something different," she protested, shifting a little closer and leaning to rest her head against his shoulder.
"Too much of something, too little maybe. Too hot. That's a big one," she teased, giggling softly for the memory of toast. "But it just takes practice. Not so difficult once you learn and get the hang of things, you know?"
"Maybe not for you," he huffed, inordinately pleased that she was leaning back against him. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head. "And I say there should be no such thing as too hot. Mixing ingredients is hard enough."
"It's really not too bad. Most basic things can use something like this." She gestured at the warm glow of the little magical flame.
"Most baking needs a hotter flame in an oven, though. It's just learning the foods, Mal," she tried to encourage, highly amused that she might have to teach a pyromancer the virtues of heat. "Some want a flame that's bright and strong and wild. Others want something even and steady, just warm enough to simmer."
Penny breathed a happy, thoughtful sigh. "Just watch," she chuckled. "I'm sure we'll teach you plenty before this is over."
"I'm watching, I'm watching," Mal assured her, gaze fixed on her rather than on what she was doing. He turned slightly to slip his other arm around her and pull she against him, nuzzling into her hair before pressing a kiss to her temple.
"Maybe I can teach you some things, Pretty Penny," he murmured, voice going low and a little rough.
She smiled warmly, almost automatically leaning into his little touches. Penny closed her eyes for a moment, just enjoying the warmth and the slight, tingling thrill that raced up her neck to hear him speak like that.
Blinking slowly she gave the pot a distracted stir before tilting her head up to look him in the eye and ask, "What would you want to teach me?"
His eyes flared. "Gods, Penny- for your own sake, don't ask questions like that unless you're prepared to lose a couple hours," he muttered, dipping his head to catch her lips in a searing kiss.
She smiled into the kiss, leaning in to give a light little nip before she leaned away again to nuzzle at his shoulder. It really wouldn't do to embarrass herself and burn their dinner, even if she did like his type of distractions.
"Maybe after dinner, then," she teased, uncertain herself how serious she was.
A little shiver ran up his spine at that and he met her eyes, gaze glinting. "I'v told you before, Penny. Don't bait me," he warned in a low growl, dipping to kiss her neck before he stepped away.
"Wasn't baiting," she protested in a mutter, shuffling around a bit as she stared down into the pot.
Suddenly, though, she heard another familiar voice and the soft, clicking footfalls of a confused Kura, "Penelope?"
Penny froze, tense as she cast a quick glance over her shoulder and automatically shuffled to put even more distance between herself and Mal. "Y-yeah?"
"Thought you still would have been at it," she teased, poking her head into the kitchen.
"Mal talked some sense into me," she muttered, staring at the soup like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Kura glanced at the phoenix, smiling her thanks. "Really? So you'll listen to him but not me? Need to remember that when I next need a favor."
"I'm making dinner," Penny cut in bluntly, bowing her head slightly and trying to hide the rising color of her cheeks against the flickering light of the fire.
"So I see. Thank you, dear." The older mage settled herself at the table, a smug little glint in her eyes as she watched her student. Looking around, though, she realized there was something a little different about their kitchen all of a sudden that she couldn't quite put her finger on. "Thank you again for the tea, Mal," she offered distractedly.
Mal took a few more steps away when Kura entered the kitchen, telling himself firmly that no, he was not blushing.
"Uh, no problem," he told the mage with a smile. "Is there...anything else I can do around here? Before dinner?"
"No, no. Come sit," she urged him, patting the table. "Perhaps another time." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "I'd like to ask you something, actually."
Penny perked up at that, casting her teacher a wary look over her shoulder before she realized she hadn't been talking to her at all. She glanced up at Mal, flashing an encouraging smile before turning back to her cooking.
"Ah..." He hesitantly took a seat, eyeing the woman almost warily. "Okay. Go ahead."
Kura smiled kindly, amused but trying to ignore his obvious hesitation. "Could you tell me what happened? You know, yesterday when you were hurt-but-not-really?" She glanced to Penny, noticing how the young woman fidgeted at that.
"He was hurt," she murmured stubbornly, determined to stick with the story they'd decided upon already. "He was just being proud about it earlier."
"Ah. Well that, yes. What happened?"
Mal shot Penny a glower, then turned to Kura with a small sigh. "Well, it- it's not a big deal. We were trying to see how far I could get from Penny, but I was the one who had to be keeping still, so we put a door between us. She got to- what was it? Eighteen steps maybe?" He glanced at the girl again, then shrugged.
"Anyway. She got to whatever the edge of our bond is and it- it felt like something snapped. This jolt of pain, and then I blacked out." He met Kura's eyes. "Why? You think you know what happened?"
"Thirty," Penny corrected, rolling her eyes for his seeming lack of memory.
Kura just nodded thoughtfully, shrugging for his questions. "That's very interesting... But I have no idea. I've been reading that book. Talks a lot about a dragon's bond with their rider. It sounds similar to that, still very much entangled with each other, but- I don't believe they have such a strict limitation on distance."
Penny sighed, crossing the kitchen to set out bowls and keep herself busy. "But he isn't a dragon."
"No, but your bond is even stronger than that," Kura mused, frowning as she watched Penny flinch at that.
"Is that all you found...?"
"Well I'm still reading but I suspect it has a lot to do with that sort of thing, that magic."
"Oh, right, thirty." Eighteen had been his steps away from her.
He sighed a bit when Kura said she didn't know anything more, although honestly he hadn't really expected anything different. "Right. Well, thanks for trying." He flashed a quick smile.
The topic of dragons got him thinking though. "You know," Mal mused slowly. "I think I've heard of dragons that are like me- like my kind, I mean. They have human avatars. Do you think that's worth looking into?" He glanced between the two women.
"Don't see why not," Kura agreed. Penny seemed a little more than skeptical, though.
"Why would that help?" she asked. "I mean- Why does it matter if they can do that?" She wondered if they might have possessed different magic or if, perhaps, the possibility of a human form gave them a particular shared weakness.
Mal shrugged. "I dunno, really. But it can't hurt to look. Maybe some of those human-dragons have bonds with riders. It's a lead, even if it's not a very good one."
Kura nodded in agreement but Penny had such a lost look about her. A slight sizzling caught her attention, though, the broth of her neglected soup beginning to burn at the bottom. Muttering quietly under her breath she went back to stirring it for a little more before deciding it was done.
"I think it's a fine idea, very reasonable. I'll see what I can find for you," Kura promised, watching her student in amusement. "Penny has a lot on her plate." The older mage smiled her thanks as Penny finally brought over bowls for each of them and took her own place at the table beside Mal.
"Not too much," she promised. "Just... A lot to take in." She was a little anxious suddenly, barely eating anything as she stared down at the grain on the table. "Kura..."
The older mage lifted her head slightly, quirking a brow in question but not speaking as she observed her. Seeking comfort, Penny reached out under the table to let her fingers brush lightly against Mal's thigh. "I learned something new while we were gone. I didn't tell you before. I...think I have an attunement to air."
Kura hummed, eyes softening considerably to hear her say that. She was curious what she had experienced to finally expose her to it but she let Penny continue, the young woman obviously struggling for her words now.
"We did a test together. It felt so much like floating, like something was holding me up. I thought- I thought I felt wings." Penny blushed, ducking her head slightly to continue eating to keep herself quiet.
"Interesting," Kura mused, glancing to Mal. "Did you see anything like that?"
He shook his head slowly. "I was actually sort of distracted at the time," the phoenix mumbled, ducking his head sheepishly. He probably should have been paying more attention to Penny. "It makes sense though, doesn't it, if she's half fae? Almost everything I've read usually connects them to air or earth, or both."
Kura's eyes widened at that, her head tilting to study him curiously before glancing between him and Penny. "Did you already know that or did she tell you?" she asked.
"I told him," Penny murmured, noticing the slight frown of disappointment from her teacher.
"So the phoenix can't distinguish fae. Interesting."
Penny glowered slightly at that. She personally didn't blame Mal for not knowing. It didn't exactly seem like common knowledge -or magic, whatever it was- outside of whom she'd known for a long time.
Mal frowned slightly, dropping his eyes. "I feel like I should have been able to tell, but no. I didn't know until she told me," he muttered.
"Perhaps you just aren't aware of it," she offered, not believing for a moment a creature like him would be entirely unable to tell. "Difficult to notice something if you don't know it's there, right?"
"Maybe." He looked up at her with interest. "Actually... Do you think you could- not teach me exactly, but maybe help me figure it out, if I can see this stuff?" It would at least give him something to do while Penny was stuck in her books.
"What stuff? Fae?" Kura chuckled, nodding and eating a few more spoonfuls of the soup. "It depends on Penny more than you," she explained.
"She doesn't...quite know how to show it. Or hide it. Just comes and goes," she mused. Penny just gave her a rather helpless look for that, not liking that about herself. Everything seemed so out of control.
"It's like...a ghost," Kura decided.
"And I can't see my own ghost?"
"Oh you can, you just don't know what it looks like," Kura laughed. "Mal I'll see what I can do with you tomorrow."
He flashed a quick smiled at her, chuckling softly at Penny's response. "Thank, Kura. I appreciate it."
Kura shrugged, not really seeing it as much of a favor. "Might as well while you're here, right? I wouldn't worry. I don't know much about your...kind. Besides the basics. But I'm sure you're perfectly capable. Magic has a way of finding other magic," she explained.
"I've noticed," Mal murmured, glancing over at Penny again. His cheeks flushed a little- completely illogically- and dropped his eyes again.
Kura watched them curiously, narrowing her eyes slightly for the way she saw the phoenix looking at her student. Penny seemed to be avoiding looking his way in front of her, the young woman's shoulders stiff even though she was obviously quite aware of him.
"So air," she sighed happily, mercifully deciding to get back on track instead of embarrass one or both of them. "Is that all you found?"
Penny nodded, blushing slightly in shame that everything new was owed to Adrian instead of herself, being nowhere near as skilled a mage.
"Pretty much, yeah," Mal sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "That, and we pretty much figured out what our boundaries are. Seems Penny can go as far from me as she likes, doesn't effect her. I'm the one who feels the...connection, I guess is the word."
Penny nodded in agreement, feeling quite guilty for that even though it was simply the truth and she couldn't help it. "But... I do feel something. I get very anxious when I can't see you. Almost like you're in danger or something even when you're just in the next room." She chuckled incredulously, shaking her head. "Silly, isn't it?"
Kura shrugged. "Manifests in different ways. I suppose he might be in danger if it hurt him to go too far, not an entirely unfounded worry." The older woman turned her head from side to side, looking out into the dark at the shadows cast around their home, trying to judge the relative size of it.
Mal stared at the young woman. "You didn't say anything about that before," he noted, tone vaguely accusatory.
Penny winced, silently cursing her slip. She hadn't meant to tell him so soon when it had only happened a couple of times over as many days. "Oh... Well it's not a big deal, just something that builds slowly," she tried to explain, not wanting him to misunderstand and think she went into a full blown panic immediately every time they were apart. "Just this little thing that reminds me you aren't there."
"Huh." He blinked at her. "I...uh, sorry. I didn't know..."
Penny shrugged, ducking her head and forcing herself to eat a bit more as a distraction as she gathered her thoughts. "Don't be. Not going to kill me," she muttered, not liking the thought that there was an aspect of her failed magic that was growing out of her control.
Mal reached out to touch her hand, then remembered they weren't alone and withdrew quickly. "Right. Well, it's worth noting, at least," he mumbled, tucking back into his food.
She noticed how he drew away, frowning slightly and glancing between him and her teacher. Kura didn't seem to be paying much attention to them, somehow the fact that Penny felt any anxiety over the phoenix a non-issue to her with dinner on the table.
"It doesn't hurt," she spoke quietly, uncertain if that would really make up for not telling him before. "At least not a physical hurt." Letting her hand fall to her side again she slowly reached out to brush the back of her fingers against his thigh under the table, still seeking some sort of contact with him even though he'd withdrawn from her a number of times already in front of Kura.
The touch to his leg made him start slightly and glance over at her. Then Mal smiled softly and let his hand drift down to clasp her hand in his, resting them both against his thigh.
"Just- tell me when it happens, yeah?" he said softly. Not only was it more information, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable.
She relaxed a little for that bit of acceptance, turning her hand slightly to rest more comfortably with his. It took her a few moments but she finally nodded and glanced over at him. "If it gets bad," she promised, not wanting to lie but also wanting to preserve as much of his privacy as possible in their odd situation.
Giving his arm a playful little nudge she smiled and glanced at the bowl before him. "That any good?"
Mal grinned at her. "Delicious. Way better than anything I could have done." Glancing at Kura with a small chuckle, he added, "I'm actually sort of amazed I managed to get the tea to turn out alright."
Penny smiled with relief, humming happily as she turned to look at her teacher. She was honestly a little surprised that she'd accepted it, but it had been good.
"Hard to mess up tea," Kura teased.
"He could've burnt it," Penny pointed out, rather impressed that he hadn't considering the circumstances.
"Perhaps your talents lie more in hot drinks than cooking," Kura mused, chuckling softly as she stood to clean up from their meal.
Penny just rolled her eyes, not really seeing how that could be true. Perhaps he'd gotten lucky with it but it seemed ridiculous that going from food to drink would suddenly produce a genius. "She's just teasing. I think..."
He shrugged, chuckling. "Hey, as long as I can get something right I'm not complaining."
Penny just shook her head, amused at that but a little suspicious. "You don't seem to complain about anything," she pointed out. "Can't really be that happy about it all, right? You really just...don't care? Or you don't want to tell?"
Mal arched an eyebrow at her. "Sharp observation," he praised, then smirked. "I guess you'll just have to figure out which times I'm just not complaining and which times I'm not telling for yourself."
She pouted at that, unhappy with the thought that he might be displeased or uncomfortable with something and not tell her about it. Hiding it didn't make it any better, in her opinion.
"I hope you know neither of us would be mad at you for speaking your mind," she told him, squeezing his hand lightly. "Doesn't have to be a secret...unless you want it to be."
"Oh, don't worry about me." He gave her a quick grin. "If something's really wrong, Penny, I'd let you know. I'm just...pretty mellow by nature, actually."
Well, except for his occasional outbursts of temper. But hopeful neither women would ever have the chance to see that.
Penny just narrowed her eyes for that, not entirely believing him. She thought she'd probably lose it at least a little bit if their roles were reversed and she suddenly found herself plucked for her life and chained to a stranger, even if they were closer than that now.
"I'd like to learn what you don't like," she admitted, tilting her head to stare at the table instead. "Not just what's wrong."
"Oh." He blinked at her. In his experience, people usually just wanted to gloss over what made other uncomfortable. Once again, the young mage surprised him.
Mal's lips curved up on one side. "Alright then, I'll keep that in mind."
She nodded, sighing deeply to release a breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. She was quick to finish her dinner and then stood, reluctant to release his hand as she moved to pass her dishes to Kura.
"You know where I'll be," she murmured to her teacher, almost praying she wouldn't hear her.
Kura had, though, and snapped her head around to shoot her a stern look. "No more. You've been in there since you got home, haven't you?" She shook her head, clicking her tongue in disappointment. It only made Penny flinch, and Kura immediate knew she was right. "Rest," she urged her. "Take a nice bath and put your feet up. You're going to go blind trying to read so much."
"I'll lock the study door if I have to," Mal told her, eyes narrowing slightly. His tone was light, but the threat was entirely serious. "Listen to Kura."
Penny scoffed, looking between them in disbelief for the way they were both suddenly so vehemently against her work. "That isn't fair," she muttered. "It's my home, too."
"For what it's worth, I will always worry for your wellbeing when you're here. But, respectfully, this is my house," Kura chuckled. "You're allowed to live here."
Penny just sighed, knowing it wouldn't do her any good to argue that. It was true and she had nothing to really stand on about that particular point. She wanted to argue she had some domain over the books seeing as she was the one who used them for the most part, but in the end it came down to most everything belonging to Kura.
"Fine," she sighed, a thoughtful frown fixed on her face as she padded away and back down the hall. She paused at the study door but after a quick glance towards the kitchen continued on her way.
"I don't suppose there would be enough hot water left over for another bath when she's done," Mal mused, watching her go and standing to start to clear the table as he did.
A bath actually sounded rather heavenly, he had to admit.
Kura watched Penny go, not taking her eye off of her until she'd disappeared through the correct doorway. She smiled in amusement for what he said, though. "Mal there are a few luxuries I don't scrimp on, even with Penny around. Hot water is definitely one of them so take a bath whenever you like," she encouraged, holding out her hands for the rest of the dishes.
"Thanks." Seeing what she wanted, he shook his head and protested, "I can at least do the dishes, Kura, considering I can't help with much as in regards to meals around here."
Kura hesitated, not really wanting to take more of his help. "Regardless of the circumstances you're still a guest," she reminded him kindly, hands still out for them. "If you'd like to keep me company while I finish these you're more than welcome, but you certainly don't have to."
Relinquishing the plates with a sigh, Mal offered with a quick smile, "At least let me set then? I'm good with drying spells if nothing else."
"Oh, are you?" She smiled thoughtfully as she turned to continue working. "I suppose that's fine then, if you really want to. Feel free to relax, though, you really don't need to." Even saying that, though, she moved to set the first few clean dishes on the counter closer to him if he wanted to make good on his offer.
Mal set to work easily, giving a quick twirl of his finger that created a tiny cyclone of warm air he could manipulate with one hand while holding the dishes with the other. It was a fairly effective and quick technique he'd picked up soon after gaining a hand on his powers.
Kura watched his little trick out of the corner of her eye as she continued with her half of it, setting each new dish before him. "You have lovely control of that," she praised, smiling warmly. "Very good form."
"Ah, thanks." He gave her a crooked smile. "Being good with heat and fire spells sorta comes with the territory, I guess."
"I would hope so, but still takes some amount of effort." She set the last of them aside for him and began putting the dry ones away with a sigh.
"I, um. I think I owe you an apology," Kura admitted. "I care about Penny but it was wrong of me to be angry when you brought her back. I was just...scared. I thought something terrible might have happened and I think I passed judgment too quickly."
"You don't have to apologize," Mal protested quickly. "I understand. I would have been terrified in your place."
"No, but I do," she insisted, shaking her head. At least he seemed to have a good sense of manners, but that didn't change how she felt about it all. "That's why I shouldn't have taken it out on you. I know I'm wonderful, Mal, but I'm not faultless."
The phoenix chuckled, looking at her with glinting eyes. "You know, you really do remind me of Da," he noted lightly. His smile softened a bit and he nodded. "I still think it's unnecessary, but I accept the apology."
"That's all I ask," she chuckled, turning to put away the last of the dishes and the pot. "Penny seemed to think I might know him. Your father. Did he say anything about how? Truthfully I can't quite match the name to a face."
"I'm not really sure," Mal admitted. "Did you ever study in Arca? You might have run into him there, some years ago."
Kura took on a thoughtful look at that, head tilting to stare at the ceiling as she contemplated it and tried to place his name among the sea from that time. "I did, actually. Gods, that was years ago," she chuckled, eyes glinting with mirth. She certainly wasn't going to say how long ago.
Her eyes flickered to look down the hall at the sound of Penny opening the door from the bath again, the young mage emerging in a nightgown and padding towards them as she ran fingers through damp hair. Even without the shadows it had been turned to a much darker shade of green for the water. "Still out here?" she called teasingly. She'd expected her mentor to be along to bed already as she usually would have been.
"Nap, remember?"
"Ah, that's right." She smiled, glancing to the table as she entered the kitchen before looking between them. "You should have let me help with those, I wasn't even away that long," she complained lightly.
Mal's heart did a little skip-jump into his throat just at the sight of Penny and suddenly his mind was most certainly not on dishes. Ducking his head in the hopes that it would hide the sudden, almost predatory gleam that had lit his eyes he muttered, "You take over drying then, I'll use the bath."
He tried to just slip past her out of the kitchen, but he wasn't quite able to resist leaning a little closer to catch the clean scent coming off her hair, fingers brushing against the back of her hand for just a moment before he moved out into the hallway.
Penny noticed the odd look briefly but didn't really think anything of it, not recognizing it as anything potentially dangerous. It seemed similar to how he'd looked earlier, but she had quite liked the almost flame-like quality to his eyes then.
The slight brush of hands sent a little shiver up her neck and she turned slightly to watch him go, genuinely surprised at how easily he'd given up that "fight."
Turning towards Kura, though, and looking to the counter expectantly she noticed there was only a single remaining bowl for her to help with and the rest had already been put away. "You really can't shut me out of doing my fair share," she pointed out, sighing lightly and shaking her head with a little smile.
"You cooked," Kura pointed out, shrugging as she straightened up and handed her a dish rag to finish up. Luckily she had not noticed the way Mal had been looking at her charge.
"Yes, but I already don't do that nearly enough."
Kura just hummed, taking the bowl from her once she was done and setting it back into the cupboard to nest among the others that had already been put away. "You have actual work to focus on now, not just lessons and practice," she pointed out.
Penny cast a look down the hall, eyes lingering on the door to the study. "Still should do my fair share." Kura just smiled, patting her shoulder as she headed out and down the hall. Penny was compassionate, she had to give her that.
"Go dig up something for your phoenix to wear. I'll wash his things for the morning if he leaves them out," she offered, the reminder enough to have her following after her obediently though her cheeks flushed a bit in guilt that Mal didn't have all the comforts of home like she did.
"I'll try," she promised, peeling away to duck into her room to scrounge something up for him, folding one of the few pairs of pants she owned and the largest shirt she had over her arm before heading back down the hall.
"Mal?" she called, knocking softly. "I brought some clothes for you. Clean ones. I, um, I'll just leave them at the door, if that's alright."
Thoroughly enjoying the relief of a hot bath, Mal almost didn't notice Penny's knock. "Oh. Yeah, sure. Thanks." He paused a moment, then added in a lower voice, feeling wicked, "Or you could just bring them in here."
At his answer she bent to set them down but paused when she heard what else he'd said. She gasped, knowing immediately how indecent of an idea that was. Still, she caught herself glancing down the hall to see if Kura was paying any attention from her own room.
Feeling relatively safe for just a moment of a thrill, Penny quickly slipped inside and carefully shut the door. She glanced his way with a coy smile but was careful not to stare as she padded closer. "Here," she whispered, feeling the need to be as quiet as possible to avoid Kura's attention as she leaned down to set them on the little stool near the bath.
"Thanks," Mal repeated, watching her with a small smirk. Eyes glinting mischievously, he stood from the bath and climbed out, reaching for a towel but essentially acting as though Penny wasn't there.
He'd never exactly been shy, and suddenly he was inspired to push a little, test their boundaries some.
She probably should have looked away. Definitely should have looked away, but Penny found herself unable to keep her eyes from him. His body wasn't entirely a mystery to her, but there was something about the entirety of his nakedness that left her feeling quite flustered all of a sudden.
"S-Sorry," she stammered quietly, turning her head quickly but far later than she really should have if she'd had any shame at all. Not really knowing what to do considering how calm and collected he was about it she turned slowly to shuffle her way towards the door.
He laughed, low and almost rasping, as he wrapped the towel around his waist and tilted his head at her, birdlike.
"Are you?" he teased quietly, eyes narrowing just slightly.
With her back to him it was safe to smile, at least. "Sorry for seeing. ...But not sorry that I saw," she decided, setting her hand to the door to slip back outside before she got herself into any real trouble.
Mal stilled, then chuckled again. "That's a contradiction," he called- quietly- after Penny as she left.
Gathering up the clothes she'd left for him, he dressed quickly enough and walked back out into the main room, toweling his hair dry. A spell probably would have been easier, but he was tired.
"Kura?" he called, glancing around for the older mage. "Anything else need done around here?"
Penny hurried along back to her room. It was more to hide than anything even if it was getting to be late. She couldn't quite still the thumping in her chest or calm the slight flush to her skin for him calling her out on it.
Kura poked her head out of her own room at the sound of his voice, studying him briefly for a moment in different clothes. "No. No more chores for you," she teased lightly. Giving him a thoughtful look she stepped out entirely into the hall and glanced to Penny's door.
"She didn't tell you, did she." Kura sighed, shaking her head and crossing her arms. "Give me your other clothes and I'll wash them for you. We really should get you into town for some others if you'll be here a while," she mused.
"That's very kind, thank you," Mal said with a grin, gathering up his original clothes- folded as neatly as he could manage- and handing them over.
"You're a guest, it's no trouble," she assured him, a faint smile there as she took them and turned to head back down the hall to busy herself. "Good night, Mal, if I don't see you again."
"Night..." Not really knowing what else to do with himself, Mal turned and made his way back to the room he'd been staying in.
He paused for a moment at the door, glancing down the hall toward Penny's room, before shaking his head and deciding that probably wasn't a great idea at the moment and slipping in to make his way toward his own bed.
Penny lie awake just staring up at the ceiling in the darkness and listening to the sounds of the house as things seemed to settle. Even so, she was far from settled herself.
The sounds of Kura tidying up the main living space were soothing, though, as was the gentle slosh of water she could hear as her teacher did a bit of washing. It was as the sounds quieted down that she felt a rather sharp pang of guilt, remembering at last that she'd forgotten to relay Kura's offer to Mal.
Scrambling out of bed she flung the door open and hurried down to the bath, hoping he might have just left them there and she could deliver them to Kura for a good deed done and her conscience cleared. But she couldn't find them.
"Shit," she hissed at the darkness, cursing again as she knocked her shin to something. Where were they? Her pride wouldn't let her ask, but she was getting a little worried that perhaps he'd put them somewhere else.
Already restless, Mal suddenly found himself bolting out of bed when he heard the soft curse and he poked his head out into the hallway. "Penny? Is that you? Everything alright?"
Dear gods, he sounded like a nanny. That was a little embarrassing.
And now Mal knew what she was up to. "Uh... Yeah. I think so, just-" She stood up straight and went to the door so she wouldn't have to raise her voice at all. "Where, um... Where are your clothes?" she asked sheepishly.
"Oh." He chuckled, shaking his head and stepping out into the hall to stand in front of her. "I gave them to Kura. Thanks, by the way, you two really have been taking good care of me."
Mal let one hand drift up to wrap his fingers around her upper arm, not pulling her closer but just letting his thumb rub back and forth.
Penny breathed a sigh of relief at that, relaxing a little to know she hadn't just been overlooking them. "Sorry, I'd meant to tell you she'd offered, but-" Well she'd been quite distracted by him. Again.
She glanced at his arm, smiling softly at the gesture. She stepped a little bit closer for it but didn't make any move to go around him yet. "It's the right thing to do. You have every right to be comfortable and happy while you're stuck here," she pointed out, keeping her voice low to not draw Kura's attention.
"Mm..." Mal did pull her closer now, wrapping his other arm loosely around her waist. He wasn't quite holding her against him, but it was close.
"You really wanna make me comfortable you'll come back to bed with me," he teased quietly, dipping his head to press a kiss to her brow.
"I bet you'd like that." She smiled knowingly, understanding he was just teasing but still pondering it anyway. She moved a little closer to close the distance between them, raising her arms to wrap around his waist and setting her head to his shoulder.
"Maybe," she whispered, leaning in to just barely brush her lips to his neck.
His breath sort of shuddered for a moment and then he was holding her against him, arms wrapped tightly around her and clutching her to his chest.
"Gods, don't tempt me, Penny," he muttered, turning his face into the crook of her shoulder. "I swear, I am three seconds away from picking you up and just carrying you off."
Her heart lurched at that. She pressed in to hug him close but wasn't quite managing the firm hold of his own arms around her. Lifting her head slightly she cast a look down the hall, noting that Kura was still nowhere in sight.
Her fingers twitched to clutch at the back of his shirt and she turned again to test what he'd allow, nuzzling gently at his hair. "What if I like tempting you?" she whispered at his ear, unable to hide a smile for that.
Well damnit.
"Alright, that's it." Without warning, he bent to scoop her up, one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders. "Three seconds. I did warn you," Mal muttered, bending his neck to kiss her temple before nudging his door open with his hip and just lingering in the doorway.
There was a startled little gasp of surprise that escaped Penny and she was quickly scrambling to move her arms up around his neck instead as she felt her feet leave the ground. For some reason she felt quite pleased with herself for that.
Looking around in the dark she knew the room to be quite familiar yet it seemed so different at the same time to be there with him. It probably wasn't the best idea to encourage him but she did it anyway. "The bed's over there," she teased lightly, noticing how he lingered and leaning to press another kiss to his shoulder.
Mal gave a shuddering sigh. "You are just not taking any outs I'm offering here, are you?" he muttered, turning to bring them to the bed and sitting on the edge, shifting his hold on her so she was cradled on his lap.
He dipped to kiss the top of her head, letting the touch linger and running one hand up and down her back with a feather light touch.
She tried not to laugh at that, she didn't really see why she should even want to do such a thing. Sitting up and turning herself around to face him once they were settled Penny leaned into his touch, sighing softly for the contact as she firmly laced her fingers together at the nape of his neck.
"You act like I should be afraid of you," she pointed out, lifting her head with a curious glint in her eyes. Leaning up, she pressed a light kiss to his jaw that had her breath hitching slightly. Even that brought a thrilling little spark to life similar to before.
The phoenix closed his eyes and let out a sharp breath, tightening his arms around her. "Maybe you should be," he muttered, tilting his head to press a kiss to her temple, then her cheek.
Penny just sighed, frowning slightly in disagreement. Slipping one hand away and down over his shoulder she pressed her palm flat against his chest. "Is this the real Mal? Is there someone different and mean hiding in here?" she asked in a whisper, more out of necessity than anything.
"That's...not what I meant." He sighed, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "You've seen the real Mal, Penny. He's the size of a house and covered in feathers."
Sure, he felt just as comfortable in his human avatar, but he felt he really needed to impress upon her that the bird was his true form, not this.
Penny smiled sadly, hating that he even felt the need to say that but nodding and tucking herself a little closer. "I know that. So what? That doesn't change who you are. How you act," she clarified. "I just want to know that you've been...sincere. With me."
Mal huffed out a quiet breath, shifting a bit to wrap his arms around her shoulders and hold her almost too tightly against him.
"I have," he mumbled into her hair. "I have, Penny, I promise."
She winced slightly but pressed herself closer for the firm grip. The last thing she wanted was for him to let go. "Then there's nothing for me to be afraid of. I trust you and I...like being like this with you." She felt a little nervous to be admitting it, but there was no use hiding the truth when she was sitting on his lap.
He chuckled quietly, pressing a kiss to her hair before moving to her cheek with a murmured, "Well I should hope so."
The light, teasing pecks changed though when he reached her skin, turning into warm, soft kisses he trailed down along her jaw and then back up to her lips.
Penny breathed a happy sigh, watching him out of the corner of her eye -at least what she could see in the dark- until he came up to her lips. Tilting her head slightly she leaned in to catch his lips with hers as the hand at his neck trailed up tentatively to tangle in his hair. Fingers curling slightly, she shifted around some on his lap to situate herself more securely with her knees nudged up against his hips.
Mal tilted his head to deepen the kiss and let his hands drift down to his waist, pulling her against him.
"Penny," he breathed against her lips, breaking away for a moment to nuzzle into her neck. "Gods you have no idea what you're doing to me, do you?"
Penny shivered for his touch and breathed in small puffs once he broke away again, adjusting some to press against him. It felt nice to be so close, natural in a way she couldn't quite describe.
"No... What do I do to you?" she whispered curiously, pressing a kiss to his hair instead of trying to coax him back up.
Well that just wasn't fair.
Mal gave a small, frustrated groan and clutched her closer, muttering, "Minx." He dug his fingers into her hips and nipped lightly at her neck. "My Pretty Penny." It was practically a purr. "Can you really not tell how much I want you?"
He'd used that word again. She liked it but she didn't quite understand what she'd done to earn it. Setting her forehead to his shoulder she looked down at his hands. A soft, gasping hiss escaped her for the slight feeling of teeth again as she twisted her hips slightly to resettle herself in his grasp.
"I can, it's just- That...doesn't answer the question?" she pointed out, voice drifting as she slowly realized that was the answer.
She gave a little testing roll of her hips against his hands, curious if she was onto something. "You want me," she whispered thoughtfully, turning her head to press another tentative kiss to his neck as she mulled it over, deciding, "I see nothing wrong. I like that."
The movement of her hips had him groaning quietly again. "I'm thinking maybe it's not such a be idea after all," he hissed before sealing his lips over here again in a searing kiss.
Penny smiled into their kiss, tipping her head slightly to keep them locked together. She moved her other hand up from his chest to rest at the nape of his neck and leaned against him, continuing her cautious rocking on his lap. He seemed to like it but it also shocked her with an occasional, fluttering warmth in her belly that got her squirming.
Mal growled low in his chest and suddenly moved his hands to clutch at her rear, pressing her against him and rocking his hips forward to match her.
Then he froze, realizing what he was doing. "Uh- Sorry, I- I shouldn't have done that," he panted, staring at her with wide eyes.
The way he touched her was fairly tame all things considered, but she still found herself blushing hotly for it with there being so little in the way of a barrier between them. Thankfully the dark could shield her a little. She liked the growl, shivering happily at the sound that seemed to vibrate through him. Even better, though, was the sudden, fluttering jolt in her core for the way their hips met. Yet he stopped it so quickly.
Penny gave a panting sigh of frustration, pressing quick, light kisses to his cheek before she leaned back a little to look him in the eye. "Why not?" she demanded quietly, rocking against him again despite his hold on her. Another of wave of pleasure shot up through her belly and she drew her lip between her teeth to try to mask the soft mewling that accompanied it.
"B-because-" His eyes closed for a moment and he gave a low groan as she rocked against him again, his grip on her tightening spasmodically. "Because we are getting dangerously close to the point where I'm not gonna want to stop," he breathed out, leaning forward to feather kissed over her shoulder.
She tightened her grip on his hair for the kisses, leaning her head back slightly for the odd, burning buzz that raced through her. She didn't believe him, though, or rather didn't want to believe he would want to stop something that felt so nice. "If you can honestly tell me," she whispered, "that you want to stop then we can stop."
Mal groaned again, part frustration and part burning pleasure. "Penny," he practically whimpered. "It isn't- it doesn't just matter what I want. Or even what you want. There are...other things we have to consider..."
Penny frowned, still not seeing why it seemed so complicated to him. He'd been so hesitant around her yet still so obviously interested in seeking out contact with her. It had her thinking back to the conversation she'd overheard between him and his father, remembering the way he'd told him they were "just friends." Perhaps he wanted to keep it that way and not complicate anything between them, but it still hurt to think about for some reason.
"What's left to consider?" she asked, tone a little bitter as she leaned against him to bring her arms around his shoulders instead, just holding him close.
He snorted. "Well, you, for one thing," Mal muttered. "You've never done this before, have you?" It was sort of a guess, but a well educated one.
She ducked her head to rest her chin on his shoulder for that, gulping slightly at the reminder. She hadn't been nervous until he'd brought it up, damnit!
"Well...no," she finally admitted in a huff, mind racing to figure out why that even mattered.
"You don't...like that," she guessed, feeling a little disappointed and frustrated that she was somehow being judged for that.
"What?" Mal looked at her, frowning. "You- oh, Penny no. I don't care," he said quickly, rubbing his hand up and down her back and wincing. Great. He had made it sound like that, hadn't he?
"But...this is a big deal. It's- it's not something you can undo," he mumbled, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I just...I want you to be absolutely sure that this is what you want."
"Oh..." She relaxed a little for that, listening to just hear him out. She still wasn't convinced and didn't understand why it was supposed to be such a big deal. What was there to undo? Would it change who she was? Even in her inexperience she couldn't really think of anything so disastrous that he would have any reasonable reason to deny her.
"I want you," she whispered, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "You. Mal. Isn't that enough?" She didn't want to beg. It seemed pathetic enough already that she, the virgin, was asking him to do anything with her at all.
"I-" He let out a shaky sigh, wrapping his arms tighter around her and just holding her against him for a long moment. "It's more than enough," he mumbled, turning his head to press a kiss to the edge of her jaw. "But there's still- I mean, I'm honestly not even sure if it's possible, but what if you ended up..?"
He flushed, already embarrassed that he was the one who apparently had to point out the risk of her getting pregnant.
It took her a moment to realize what he was talking about but once she did she was burying her face against him again and hugged him close. She understood the risk was there but she wasn't sure how real it was or even how likely it might be if it was even possible for them. "I mean, if it hasn't happened before I'm sure I wouldn't, right?" she murmured, blushing brightly in embarrassment to be using his assumed experience as a justification.
"Oh, Penny." He gave a short, wry chuckle. "That's really not a good enough justification, and you know it." He kissed her forehead, trying desperately to convince himself that he was doing the right thing, despite how badly he wanted to do otherwise.
"It is." She frowned, lifting her head to stare at him pleadingly and press a kiss to his brow. "If you don't want to you could just say that," she reminded him, smiling sadly. "I won't bother you with it, I'll go back to my room."
"Oh gods." He sighed and dropped his head onto her shoulder. Trying to push her away at this point was almost physically painful. "It's not that I don't want to, Penny. Gods I want to. But I'm trying to do right by you here, and you're making it very difficult."
She gave a low whine of frustration, squeezing him close and squirming a bit on his lap. It would have been better if he just didn't want her, it was so much worse to know he did but seemed unwilling to do anything about it.
"I'm not trying to be difficult, I'm just asking you to let me have a say. I-I want to know- What it's like. With you. Please," she whispered the last word, feeling rather pathetic that it didn't seem as simple as offering herself to him.
Mal actually whimpered softly, hands going to her hips in an effort to keep her still on his lap. "Damnit," he hissed, turning his head to kiss her neck. "What the hell am I supposed to say to that?"
Penny stilled, watching him out of the corner of her eye and frankly a little hurt that things seemed to be going so poorly. "You said you wanted me to be sure. I'm telling you that I'm sure. Say yes. Or say no. But don't leave me like this," she pleaded softly, her heart feeling quite heavy all of a sudden and too afraid of showing her face that she kept herself pressed against him.
Well, that pretty much broke whatever willpower he had left. "Damnit," he growled again, and rather unceremoniously wrapped his arms around Penny and twisted quickly to drop her- still gently- onto the bed.
Mal braced his arms to either side of her and just looked at her for a moment, then leaned down to catch her lips in a soul searing kiss.
"I swear by whatever gods there are," he muttered, "I am going to do right by you...next time."
Penny just clung to him, eyes widening slightly in surprise as she suddenly found herself staring up at him. Relaxing back against the bed, she let her hands slip down from his back to stroke along his arms.
She frowned briefly at his words. Bracing against him slightly, she leaned up to press another kiss to his lips. "Not fair. What if I don't want you to?" She nipped at his lower lip lightly for that, frustrated by the idea that he might not act on whatever they were both feeling.
Mal groaned, retaliating the nip by leaning down to drag his teeth lightly over her neck. "I don't think you're understanding me, Pretty Penny," he murmured. "There are herbs and potions we should probably take. I'm just saying next time we should do that."
She almost regretted that. Almost. Writhing slightly, she instinctively turned her head to try and shield the sensitive flesh of her throat. She pondered what he said, though, calming some once she realized he wasn't saying "no" just "different."
"Let's worry about that next time," she whispered, smiling and lifting a leg tentatively to brush his hip with a nervous, shuddering sigh. She wasn't entirely sure how to entice him, but his earlier reactions to her body gave her some clues to work with.
The phoenix's hand shot out, fingers curling around her knee and hooking her leg over his hip. "Gods, Penny," he rumbled, pressing heated kisses along the length of her throat. That crooning sound rose up in his chest again and he moved to her lips, practically purring, "Pretty Penny."
His hand followed the length of her leg up to her hip, then slipped under the hem of her top, fingertips brushing lightly against skin.
Following his guidance, it seemed quite natural to wrap her leg around him. Leaning her head back against the bed, it was hard to keep little noises of surprise from leaving her as those odd little shocks of pleasure raced through her everywhere his lips touched.
It was almost overwhelming, but she liked what he was doing, liked the way he said her name.
Her nightgown had already ridden up pretty severely, but she shivered to suddenly feel so much skin exposed to open air as it gave way to his hand. Jolting slightly for the new sensation of skin touching skin underneath, Penny tightened her leg around him automatically and squirmed against his hand.
"Mal," she whimpered softly against his lips, fingers twitching slightly against his arms before they slipped up around his shoulders again. She pulled down on him with a few needy tugs, feathering distracted kisses as she squirmed again in her uncertainty of how to ask for more.
The way she said his name set his blood on fire. Groaning quietly, Mal dipped down to trail his kisses from her neck over her chest.
Slowly, testing, he let his hand drift further up under her nightgown, tracing the lines of her ribs almost teasingly.
Penny was curious and wanted to watch but shut her eyes tightly against the new sensations. Breath starting to come in soft pants, she arched up against him slightly and let her head roll back again with a stifled groan.
The hand to her bare skin left little trails of tingling heat that she didn't understand. Was it his magic? No, it was similar to what she'd felt before but stronger somehow, hotter.
"Feels weird," she giggled, bringing her hands up to bury in his hair and give a few gentle scratches against his scalp as she decided, "Different, but good."
Mal smirked, tilting his head to nurse at her neck and let his hand trail higher, just barely brushing the edge of her breast.
His other hand moved to her hip, pulling her up against him with a soft huff as he closed the his eyes at the sensation.
Penny gasped and shivered, squirming again for the hands upon her as a low hum rose up in her throat. It seemed so much like teasing and yet not at the same time.
"Mal," she whined softly, fingers twitching to grip him closer. Lifting her other leg and cautiously shifting around beneath him she wrapped it around him as well.
Crooning quietly in the back of his throat, Mal leaned back a little and impatiently tugged at her nightgown, urging it higher so he could dip his head and trail kisses down the center of her body to stop at her navel.
Almost cautiously, he rocked his hips forward, glancing up at her face to judge her reaction.
Lifting her hips slightly to help him along with it she loosened her hold on him little by little until she realized where he was going. It felt odd to suddenly be uncovered even as little as she was, but the heat where they touched was enough to keep her distracted from the chill air touching her skin. Tilting her head slightly to look down and watch him, she tried to keep her breathing even as he moved lower.
The slight pressure of his hips against her had her breath hitching slightly and eyes widening briefly before shutting tight against the sensation. That odd but pleasant fluttering in her belly had started up again and, not realizing he was watching, she drew her lower lip between her teeth to keep from making another sound for it.
A rumbling growl built up in Mal's chest and he pressed another kiss just below her navel, fevered and hungry. "Gods, if we were alone I would make you scream," he promised, voice low, as he made his way back up to her mouth and tried to coax her lip out from between her teeth with a kiss.
She wasn't sure why he would want to do that or how he would accomplish it, but for some reason it was exciting. There was something he wanted from her that he couldn't have, or at least couldn't have yet. Out of everything she understood that they needed to be quiet or Kura would have both of their hides, though. Regardless, she quite liked the sounds he was making and wanted more.
Penny raised her arms with him to wrap around his shoulders, hugging him close. She hummed happily, tilting her head to deepen the kiss and smiling for the slightly ticklish feeling it left against her lips. Breaking away for a moment she leaned her head against his in concentration and carefully secured her legs around him again to give a tentative roll of her hips.
"Oh..." Mal clenched his eyes shut and buried his face in the crook of her neck, letting out a sharp, hot breath. He let one hand clutch her hip and urge her to repeat the rolling motion with a little buck against her.
His other hand tugged at her nightgown again, hiking it up almost to expose her chest in an almost questioning manner, urging her to help him remove the garment.
She repeated the soft undulation against him again, quite pleased with herself that he seemed quite affected by it though it didn't last for very long. Noticing the tugging again she wriggled herself around to help him slip it off, ducking through one arm and then the other before setting the garment aside.
She realized immediately how exposed that left her, though, and quickly threw an arm across her chest as if that might effectively shield her. Not that she was hiding really, just noticing how indecent it was. As if it wasn't damning enough already that she was in bed with him.
It left her curious, though. The young mage's eyes wandered down to look between them as she reached for the hem of his shirt with her free hand. She already knew what was underneath, but that was precisely why she wanted to see him again.
Mal just looked at her for a moment, and a small smile quirked at his lips. "Shy all of the sudden?" he teased, wrapping one hand gently around her wrist and tugging lightly to try to remove her arm from her chest.
Even as he did, his other hand went to the hem of his shirt and pulled up, baring most of his torso before he had to remove his grip on her wrist to get it the whole way off and toss it aside.
"A little," she whispered, cheeks burning as she watched him and, at first, resisted his insistent tugging. Once he'd slipped off his shirt, though, Penny slowly lowered her arm and stared up at him half expecting him to make fun of her for actually going through with it.
There was the nagging reminder in the back of her mind that flirting was fine and well but only her husband should ever see her in such a way. Perhaps that was what Mal had meant about not going back, but she realized that it didn't quite matter to her anyway.
Mal's expression softened and he forced himself to slow down, dipping to press a gentle kiss to her cheek. "Penny," he murmured, moving to kiss the tip of her nose. "Pretty, pretty Penny."
One hand on her hip, he slowly lowered himself down to press against her, skin to skin, and gave a shuddering sigh at the contact. "You- you can tell me to stop," he whispered, nuzzling into the curve of her neck and shoulder. "If I go too far, just tell me to stop, okay?"
Slowly, he slid his hand up her side to just barely let his fingertips graze the side of her breast, placing soft kisses on her neck all the while.
Penny closed her eyes against all the soft kisses, the way he said her pet name again sending a funny little thrill through her.
She breathed a happy sigh for the way they finally touched, arms and legs tightening around him slightly. She doubted that would be necessary, he'd been so careful and cautious with her already she couldn't really imagine that changing. "Okay, but...I don't think you will," she finally agreed, fingers twitching slightly to grip his shoulders. It had been difficult enough to get him to that point, she couldn't imagine any worse feeling than that.
"Pants too," she pointed out distractedly, squirming again for all of his gentle touches and lowering her leg to brush against the offending fabric as if he needed the reminder. "You know, only fair."
He gave a soft groan, shuddering slightly at the touch. "Gods, girl, you are going to kill me," he mumbled.
Leaning back again, he easily stripped out of his breeches, tossing them...somewhere, he didn't really care where they ended up. Left in his undergarments, he dove back into her with a fiery kiss, one hand moving up to cup her breast and the other grasping her hip to pull her against him.
Penny just laughed under her breath, pleasantly amused by his struggles with her. She watched him, humming appreciatively once he'd returned to her and molded herself to him as best as she could, the craving for more skin to skin contact a little too much to ignore. "But you feel so nice," she cooed softly.
A soft whimper escaped her as she eagerly arched into his touch, hips bucking slightly against his hand. She parted her lips slightly to test the tip of her tongue against soft flesh again, curious if she might get a similar reaction to before.
Parting his lips against hers in turn, Mal eagerly responded to the touch by flicking his own tongue out to meet hers.
Half crooning, half groaning, he rolled his hips against hers, kneading gently at the flesh under his hands.
The fluttering in her core rose up stronger than before and she gave a retaliating little buck of her hips for it and nipped at his lips, uncertain how else to manage it if not through raw expression.
She trailed her hands back up, settling one in the hair at the nape of his neck to cradle him close as the other cupped his jaw with gentle strokes of her thumb across his cheek. Eager to maintain some semblance of control she lifted a leg again to throw around his waist to squeeze him closer as if they weren't already touching just about everywhere.
Panting, Mal jerked his mouth away from hers and let his forehead fall to rest on her shoulder for a moment, arms shuddering slightly as he resisted the urge to just grab her.
Slowly, he let his hand run down from her chest to tug lightly at her undergarments, trailing kisses from her neck over her chest, where he lingered, flicking his tongue across her skin every so often.
Penny let her head fall back and hands drift away to grip at his arms instead as he lowered himself. Even though she liked that new sensation she found herself jumping when his tongue brushed skin with every little gasping hitch he elicited from her.
One hand followed his down once she realized what he was after. She lifted her hips off the bed to squirm out of them. Once they were down to her thighs she settled back down and lifted her legs closer to her chest to finish pulling them off slower, suddenly a little shy again once she felt the icy kiss of air as she lie completely bare to him.
Mal paused, sensing her insecurity, and lifted his head to smile at her softly. "Okay?" he asked quietly, tracing small circles over her stomach with one hand, waiting to rid himself of the rest of his own clothes until he was completely sure that she was comfortable.
"Mhm." She lifted her head to smile some once she realized he'd stopped. "Just never...been like this with someone," she added softly, gesturing at her nakedness. Funny how that one piece of clothing meant all the difference to her nerves.
"But I think I like it." She let them fall from her hand to the floor somewhere.
He gave her a crooked sort of smile and murmured, "Let's even the playing field, then." He easily slipped out of his own shorts, kicking them away somewhere.
And paused. Mal wasn't really a shy person by nature, but he suddenly felt a little self conscious with absolutely nothing between them now. Swallowing a little nervously, he leaned down and pressed a soft, rather chaste kiss to Penny's lips.
That same fluttering, tugging just wouldn't stop. She watched him with a soft smile, eyes roaming appreciatively over what she could see of him in the dark. Suddenly things seemed different. The need to be rid of clothing gone, there was another new sensation building in its stead. It was different than the rush of before, more of a slow burning.
The sudden gentleness from him after all the eager pawing at each other was nice, refreshing actually as it allowed her to take a step back mentally. Penny leaned up to meet him with a shuddering sigh, careful to take her time as she trailed kisses away from his lips and brushed little pecks to his jaw instead. Not knowing what else to do with herself she reached up to cup his face in her hands, one hand moving down slightly to brush her thumb lightly from his cheek to his neck.
Mal crooned quietly and let his eyes slide half closed, tilting his head to encourage her touch. Cautiously, he allowed himself to lower down over her a bit, pressing chest to chest as he dipped to trail kisses over her neck and shoulder.
Very, very slowly, ready to retreat if she seemed uncomfortable, he let his hand drift up her thigh to her hip, then trace over her stomach lightly before dipping down experimentally.
Breathing in light pants she sucked in her stomach slightly at his touch. It wasn't unpleasant so much as new, but she still squirmed her hips a bit for it.
Deciding she liked the warmth of his touch she settled back down, reaching around to gently knead her fingers at his neck and shoulders while turning her head to press airy kisses to his ear. As his hand trailed down she parted her legs slightly, uncertain if it was really the right thing to do but getting the sense that it was necessary to invite him lower.
Taking that as a sign his touch was welcome, Mal let his fingers dip between her legs, stroking lightly.
Leaning in to kiss her again, he breathed shakily against her lips, "Gods, you're so warm, Penny." He gave a little flick of his wrist, testing, seeing what got a reaction.
Penny hummed happily, letting her eyes drift closed in relaxation.
She gave a soft, distracted groan of agreement, nodding slightly as her attention became focused solely on his hand. Everywhere he touched felt warm, but not unpleasantly so. Just that same slow burn and the butterflies that seemed to be chasing him beneath her skin.
Suddenly she felt a slight jolt as he brushed against her, eyes flying open and hips bucking slightly against his hand to seek it out again. "Th-that. Please, Mal," she murmured, fingers twitching against him. Uncertain of what to call the sensation, she just knew that it felt good. Damn good.
He chuckled quietly, the sound low and rough. "You mean this?" He repeated the gesture, then withdrew his hand to buck his hips gently against hers, closing his eyes and groaning softly at the sensation.
"Ye-" Penny slipped a hand away to cover her mouth to keep the yelp of surprise from escaping her. She arched against him, rolling her hips needily and trying to produce the same feeling again with a low whine of frustration.
Mal recovered enough to give her a sly grin and leaned down to catch her lips in a hungry kiss. Rocking against her again, he clutched at her hip with one hand and gave a low moan.
"Penny," he sort of gasped out against her mouth. "I- Do you trust me?"
Once she felt safe enough to not alert Kura to her presence she slipped her hand away to tug him closer by his hair for that fiery kiss. She leaned into his touch, shivering at the sounds he made and trying to repeat her haphazard little motions for him again.
"Yeah," she breathed, brow furrowing as she thought about it a little more. With a smile she decided, "That's a dumb question."
He smiled softly and feathered light kisses over her face. "Then hang in there with me for a minute, okay? This- might hurt a bit, at first."
In an effort to relieve that, he let his hand slide down to stroke between her legs again, doing his best to keep her mind on pleasure as he hesitantly pressed against her, then, very slowly, into her.
"Oh gods." Mal gritted his teeth and stilled, panting, wanting to give her time to adjust and desperately resisting the urge to just move.
Hang in there? That seemed a little extreme but she was willing to humor him. She didn't realize until it was happening that it really wasn't such a crazy thing to say.
There was a moment of warmth and pleasure again, the brush of his hand eliciting a soft sigh and smile from her. She didn't question the way he pressed against her, too caught up in the nicer feelings she raised her hips for. The moment he entered her was entirely different from anything else they'd done, though, and her eyes widened slightly as she gave a soft whimper, head turning sharply to tuck against her shoulder.
A moment of sharper pain passed quickly but she was left with a sensation of fullness in its wake. It was almost overwhelming in its newness, but she discovered rather quickly that it was there to stay as she gave a testing little twisting roll of her hips that stretched her in a way she hadn't even known she could stretch.
Mewling quietly, Penny reached out with desperate hands to dig into his shoulders and hold him close. "That's different," she whispered through pants.
Groaning for the movement of her hips, Mal ducked his head to nip lightly at her shoulder, trying desperately to hold himself still until he was sure she was comfortable. "Good different?" he ventured.
Gods knew he felt "good different". "You're so warm, Penny," he whispered, low and rasping. He looped one arm around her waist to pulled her against him, giving a cautious little rock of his hips against hers.
She adjusted with him, arching up against him and hooking one knee at his waist to help keep them close. Even that was enough of a change to wretch a gasp out of her, the mage fighting the urge to squirm in his arms as she contended with the odd mixture of sensations in her core.
The discomfort gradually became less and less as the sensation of just him seemed everywhere to cloud her senses. "Good," she finally whispered, giving another testing movement of her hips that seemed to go much, much better. "Like fire, but- Not hurting." It was the best way she knew how to describe the odd waves of heat racing through her, her skin feeling unimaginably hot as she quivered slightly in anticipation.
Growling low in his throat, Mal brought his hips back and then bucked forward, still as slow and gently as he could manage. He turned his face into the curve of her neck to muffle the sound he made, clutching her desperately to his chest.
"I can show you fire, Penny," he promised in a rough whisper, rocking against her again, gradually falling into a rhythm.
He was still everywhere but it was good everywhere. She grit her teeth against most of the noises that threatened to spill from her lips, turning to bury her face against his hair.
"Oh Gods," she moaned, tipping her head back with a shuddering gasp as he finally found a rhythm. She felt that same fluttering feeling again that had her legs and arms tightening around him slightly. Desperate to find it again she lifted her hips to rock against him tentatively, a low hum of pleasure escaping her once she'd found it. "That. I like that," she urged him, not realizing that he might not be feeling the same things she was.
Mal panted against her neck and gave a sharp buck forward with his hips, hands gliding down to grip her sides and gently pull her against him in time with his own movements, groaning quietly at the sensation.
"Penny," he crooned, picking up his pace a little. "Pretty Penny- oh gods." He bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood in an effort to censor himself as he sank every inch of himself into her.
Penny breathed in short, rasping pants, feeling quite on the knife-edge as he slowly built her up higher and higher, those same tingling shocks of pleasure racing through her more and more.
She smiled to herself, liking the way he kept saying her name. Leaning forward she latched onto his neck, pressing soft kisses and teasing nips against his skin. "You feel so good, Mal. Really good," she purred, writhing against his hands and desperate to rock her hips as much as she could to meet him.
Her positively growled at that, biting down lightly on her shoulder. With a quiet groan, he leaned back and gripped her hips, pulling her against him sharply with every buck of his hips.
He'd promised himself he was going to let her set the pace, but he just couldn't seem to hold back. Breathing raggedly, he reached out to grab one of her hands as he kept up the rather unrelenting pace.
Penny curled her legs in on herself slightly, surprised at the abrupt change but quickly finding she was not at all against it. After all his talk about doing right by her she'd expected something a little more tender and sweet, but she liked him much better as he was, seeing him expressive, raw, and hungry.
She held his hand in a tight grip and braced the other to grab feverishly at the covers of the bed, desperate to ground herself somehow while she stared up at him longingly, lip drawn between her teeth again as she fought the sounds that threatened to spill from her throat.
Mal was panting sharply now, and he leaned down to rain kisses over her face and neck, not slowing his pace for an instant. Next time, he promised silently. Next time he would do this properly.
But as it was he just took her, fire raging through his blood and pounding in his ears. Slamming his hips against hers, her hovered over her mouth and whispered hotly, "Let go, sweetheart," urging her to fall apart underneath him as he sealed his lips over hers in a desperate, passionate kiss.
Let go? What did it mean to let go? She furrowed her brow in distracted confusion, not really understanding what he meant, not recognizing what was happening between them as something to let go of until it was too late.
At last that fluttering finally spilled over to flood her with tingling warmth and she grappled against him with desperate limbs to hold him close through it despite how she trembled. She gave into his kiss, shuddering beneath him in a way she'd never felt before as a keening cry was blessedly muffled between lips.
Mal shuddered against her, determined to let her ride this first peak out. He continued to kiss her until he couldn't take it anymore, tearing away with a sharp gasp and holding her hips down so he could untangle them.
Scooting to the edge of the bed, he gripped the sheets tightly and clenched his jaw as he tried to force the fire raging in him to cool.
Well, at least he'd managed to cut down on risk for her, even if he was now shivering and panting as he tried desperately- and rather futilely- to get a hold of himself.
The pleasure, while new and amazing, was short-lived and any chance to bask in it was dashed as she realized quite quickly that something was wrong with him.
"Mal?" The concern in her voice was stifled as she struggled to catch her breath. Sitting up quickly she cautiously moved closer to set a hand to his shoulder.
Still rather short of breath, Mal turned to face her when he felt her touch and smiled, leaning in to kiss her and wrap one arm around her waist gently. "How you doing?" he asked quietly when he pulled away, eyes searching her face.
"Okay..." She trailed off, trying to stay focused on why she'd joined him even as she leaned against him slightly. She glanced down at his lap suspiciously, uncertain.
"Why did you stop? It felt good," she tried to assure him, worried he'd mistaken her sounds for ones of pain instead of pleasure and not recognizing what it looked like when he struggled with his power.
Mal gave a short little laugh, kissing her again. "Really good," he agreed, resting his forehead against hers for a moment. "It was really good, Penny. I just, uh..." Already rather flushed, his cheeks darkened another shade. "I didn't want to- lose control while we were still, er...ya know."
Penny frowned at that, leaning back slightly to sit away from him as she considered it. If it felt anything for him like it had for her, why wouldn't he want that?
"Why not?" she asked evenly, tense as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Did I...do something wrong?"
He started, looking at her with wide eyes. "What? Oh, sweet, no." Mal leaned forward and wrapped his arms around her, drawing her against his chest- and angling his hips a bit so they weren't pressed quite so close together.
"You're perfect," he murmured, kissing her temple. "Penny, that was- that was amazing." Sighing, he nuzzled against her cheek slightly and added, sort of gruff and embarrassed, "You, um...has anyone ever explained the...technicalities of this to you?"
Maybe he'd assumed she understood more than she did.
She flushed brightly for that, ducking her head and giving a noncommittal little shrug. Gradually, though, she relaxed and let her arms unfold so she could reach out to hold him, finding comfort in the contact. Resting her cheek on his shoulder she looked up at his face as she thought it over.
"I know a little," she mumbled stubbornly, though she was beginning to feel like something had been left out from what she'd been told, something he was skirting around and wouldn't just tell her. It seemed there was no easy way to talk about it, though, and she found herself a little flustered as she tried to tell him.
"I know what that was. Um, sex... Are you acting weird because of the whole risk thing?" she guessed.
He sighed. Great. Now he was suddenly worried he'd coerced her into doing something without her having all the information she needed.
"Yes," he muttered, hiding his face in the curve of her neck. "If I, um... See, if I'd done- what you did, let go like that- ah, that's what could...well, it-"
He groaned, clenching his eyes shut and squirming uncomfortably. "I'm really not the person you should be talking to about this..."
"Why? You seem like the perfect person to talk to considering we just, or I just-" Penny struggled, not knowing what to call the sensation. It made her sad, though, it didn't seem fair that she got to feel something like that when he couldn't.
"I'm not a child, you know," she muttered bitterly, a little resentful now that her mother had never fully explained it to her after hearing his reservations. "I know it's what people do to have a baby, but..." What had she said? "It doesn't always happen. It's 'rare.'"
She'd always just accepted that as fact considering her parents only had two daughters. Things were slowly coming together, though, as she remembered what he'd said about herbs before. There was some connection she was missing, but she didn't understand why he had to suffer for it. "I want you to feel that, too," she told him sadly, squeezing him close for a moment.
"Yeah, so do I," Mal admitted, muttering, as he returned the hug gently. "Look, Penny... It's not rare, not really. If I had...done what you did-" he knew now that she didn't actually know what had just happened, but he really couldn't bring himself to explain what a climax was- "that's what makes it possible, and it can happen any time you sleep with someone."
Why did he suddenly feel like he was her teacher, not Kura?
Slowly, feeling like he was corrupting her with every word that left his mouth, he mumbled, "But, uh- as long as I'm not...not in you when it happens... It's okay."
Penny frowned at that, not quite believing him but nodding in acknowledgement. It seemed like a cruel trick for something so good to also be dangerous.
"But you're a phoenix. You said it might not even be possible," she reminded him, a little more hopeful than she probably should have been.
She sighed and shook her head, reflecting on what he'd said as she looked down between them. Curious, she let a hand drift down to rest against his thigh, tracing light patterns across his skin as she contemplated it all.
"Well, yes," he agreed, brow furrowing slightly, "but that doesn't mean I want to take-"
His breath hitched when she started running her fingers over his legs, and once again he was almost painfully reminded of his body's reactions to her.
"Don't want to take the risk," he muttered, eyes fluttering half closed. Slowly, he took her wrist and guided her hand a little closer to where he was aching for her to touch.
She lifted her head slightly, watching his face curiously as she allowed him to guide her. Brushing tentatively against him she was surprised at how warm he was, almost burning as she gently wrapped her fingers around him. She wondered if it was the same "warm" he'd mentioned before.
"Oh..." Mal clenched his eyes shut, clamping his mouth closed on a moan. His head fell forward a bit and he drew in a sharp breath, releasing her wrist to reach up and gently stroke her cheek. Smiling faintly, he leaned forward and gave her a soft, rather chaste kiss, content to let her explore if that was what she wanted.
She paused briefly, uncertain if the loss of his guidance meant something bad until she saw his smile. Leaning into his touch slightly, she pressed a trail of light kisses from his lips to his cheek.
Eager to repay him the favor of pleasure, Penny tried to remember the ways he'd touched her before and did her best to brush her hand along his length in a similar but slightly exploratory manner.
Mal groaned softly, tilting his head to press fevered kisses along her jaw to her neck. "You're doing good, Penny," he murmured, trying to encourage her touches.
Cheeks heating slightly under his praise Penny tilted her head to look down again and study the way he was reacting to her. Scooting a little closer, she set her other hand to his thigh for support. "Tell me. If I'm hurting you or anything," she urged, not exactly sure about what she was doing but growing slightly bolder, trying to do more of what had earned her all those kisses with a slightly firmer hand.
"Yeah, I-" Her bolder strokes drew another groan from him and Mal turned his head to nuzzle against her, breath coming in sharp little pants as he resisted the urge to buck his hips against her hand.
"Not hurting," he rumbled. "Definitely not hurting." Reaching up to twine his fingers through her hair, he tilted her head slightly so he had a better angle to kiss her.
Penny squirmed slightly for the shiver that ran down her neck, smiling to herself and pressing a few more kisses to his cheek as she cautiously settled into a slow but steady rhythm with her strokes that seemed comfortable.
She gave no resistance against the slight pulling to turn her, sighing happily as she leaned in to press her lips to his once more. "This feels nice," she purred against his lips after a few moments.
Mal nodded jerkily, breathing out a ragged, "That's one word for it." He pressed a trail of kisses along the line of her cheek to settle just behind her ear. "You, um...you can go faster," he encouraged quietly, feeling his face flush as the words left his mouth.
Penny flashed a sheepish smile at that, still a little uncertain about hurting him. If he said it was alright, though, she thought that was reason enough. He wouldn't tell her if he didn't want it, would he?
A little more comfortable with it, she took him in a firmer grip and increased her pace little by little. Leaning against him slightly she pressed soft kisses to his skin and whispered, "Like this?"
He clenched his eyes shut, turning his head to catch her lips in a fierce kiss. "Just like that," he purred, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and the other around her waist, pulling her against him.
"Gods, Penny," he hissed, turning his face into the curve of her neck. "I- I can't-" The tension coiled in his belly snapped and he groaned at the release, impulsively biting down on her shoulder- not hard enough to break skin but just over the edge of gentle.
She gasped at the feeling of teeth, pressing her cheek against him with a soft whine and bracing her free hand at his waist. Her eyes softened at the sensation, recognizing his release for the similar feeling to her own.
Easing him down with a shuddering sigh she bent to shower kisses along his shoulder, liking the feeling of being held and not really knowing what to do with herself aside from release her pent-up emotion in an acceptable way. She was secretly surprised that she was so affected by him, but she thought it made sense as well considering their circumstances.
Nuzzling against her shoulder and tiredly responding to her kisses with a few of his own, Mal was content to just hold Penny against him for a few moments as he recovered. One hand stroked up and down her back while the other went to tangle in her hair and he let out a shaky sigh, pressing a rather apologetic kiss to the faint bite mark he'd left on her skin.
Penny hummed, brow furrowing for the slight discomfort of tenderness, but she appreciated the sweetness in his gesture more. Slowly drawing her hand away she wrapped Mal up in a warm hug, resting against him and breathing a distracted sigh for the now familiar ache that had her wriggling her hips.
"Makes me want to do that again," she whispered shyly, leaning back slightly to brush a kiss to his cheek. "But that's not fair," she guessed.
He chuckled wryly and agreed, "Not really."
After a rather long moment of silence, the phoenix pressed another kiss to the side of her neck and murmured hesitantly, "But we could...well there's- other ways of, um...doing that." His cheeks felt like they were on fire.
She tilted her head curiously at that, truly having no idea what he could be referring to. "What other ways?" she asked softly, genuinely curious.
"Could you..teach me, maybe? Or show me?" The young mage flushed at that, a little embarrassed that she was already asking him for such intimacy again. Was a little late to take it back, though.
Though he was still blushing, Mal smirked at that. "My pleasure," he rumbled, kissing her cheek, then her nose. "Lie back, Pretty Penny," he urged quietly.
She crinkled her nose at that, laughing softly under her breath as she untangled herself from him. Scooting back against the bed she leaned away to lie down again, though she felt that same flush along her body and the flutter of nerves rise up like before to be lying before him so exposed.
There was so much she wanted to ask as she stared at him expectantly, excited but anxious for not knowing what he had in mind for them.
Mal smiled at her, dipping down to kiss her mouth, then letting his lips trail down to her neck, then her chest. When he got to her stomach, he looked up with smoldering gold eyes.
"Trust me, sweetheart?" he murmured, pressing a kiss just above her navel and letting his tongue flick teasingly over her skin.
Relaxing back, she basked in the warm tingling his kisses left across her skin with a faint smile upon her lips. It didn't really seem all that different from before, but she definitely wasn't going to point that out or complain.
"Well the first time worked out pretty well," Penny teased, giving his hair a playful ruffle for the light jolt the touch of his tongue sent through her belly. She was quick to smooth it back out with a thoughtful look, deciding, "Don't see why not."
He smirked, pressing another kiss to her navel before dipping lower, experimentally brushing his tongue over her core. He kept flicking his eyes up to her face to gauge her reaction.
Penny's mouth fell open in a noiseless gasp just for that light touch, eyes fluttering half closed as she watched him in awe.
A slow smile spread across her lips as she stroked her hand through his hair, thighs parting a bit more in anticipation. "I didn't know that was a thing," she murmured happily.
Mal resisted the urge to chuckle, throwing a rather cavalier wink at her before dipping his head again to kiss her, then tried another lick, a little bolder this time, searching out where she was most sensitive.
She didn't know what he'd done but a sudden jolt of pleasure had her gasping and hiking her legs up slightly in reaction. Mewling softly, she lifted her hips ever so slightly to try and guide him back to it, hands gripping the covers in frustration as she wasn't quite sure how to describe what she wanted.
Despite his protests to being a dog, Mal had been with enough women to recognize that reaction. He smirked and gave her another lick, more targeted this time, reaching his hands up to grip her hips and pull her against his mouth as he worked her over.
Penny let him pull her down, squirming slightly against him to get resettled. She might not have known how to ask but he certainly knew how to answer. "Mal... K-keep doing that," she whispered shakily.
Relaxing under his attentions with a happy sigh she gradually shifted around to nestle a hand in his hair again, the other drifting up to rest along one thigh as she leaned her head back to savor the sensations.
Mal took her at her word, repeating the little licks and kisses in a steady pattern for a few moments before tilting his head for a different angle and letting one pass of his tongue slip just barely into her for a moment, then returning to his previous ministrations.
It was all just so intense in its newness. A string of pants and small whines escaped her as she arched into his touch, the sounds rising for a moment before she could manage to bite them back.
She let her head roll back and to the side, watching him through a growing haze as the fingers in his hair twitched lightly against him. "Gods," she shuddered, biting her lip against all the pestering questions she had for him.
Encouraged by her reactions, Mal continued his attentions, eyes flicking up to her face every so often as he grew bolder, more intense, trying to make her reach that peak again.
She felt that edge creeping up on her again, prickling beneath her skin with a roiling tension. Bringing one hand up to tangle in her own hair she arched herself against him, rolling her hips again and again in needy, jerky movements.
"Please, Mal," she begged softly, body already tensing with anticipation.
Humming against her, Mal slid one hand down to stroke her and moved the other to trace light, teasing circles over her stomach. He focused his attention in what he knew would make her squirm, tongue and fingers working together to bring her over the edge.
Penny wasn't able to hold it off much longer, eyes clenched shut and a low moan spilling from her lips as the familiar waves of her climax racked her body once more. She resettled upon the bed with trembling limbs, breath coming in ragged pants as a rather new warmth and inner peace took up residence within her.
As soon as she was able she was reaching out to Mal with a happy smile, tugging gently at his arm to try and draw him closer as she tried to catch her breath.
Settling back to give Penny time to recover, Mal smiled and easily let her pull him toward her, kissing his way up her chest and neck to her lips.
Leaning up slightly, she captured his mouth in a gentle kiss, fingers gliding to tangle in the hair at the nape of his neck. She smiled, peeking coyly at him through lashes. "That," she whispered, "was very good different."
Nuzzling against his cheek she murmured a quiet, "Thank you."
Mal smiled, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You never have to thank me for that, love," he murmured, reaching up to stroke her hair lightly. "I like making you feel good."
Flushing slightly at that she tilted her head into his hand a bit, enjoying the gentle touch. It was quite relaxing to just be pet, she realized. "Just because you like it doesn't mean you don't deserve thanks," she objected gently, "I'm glad, though. You know, that you do like it."
She smiled appreciatively, free hand drifting to his shoulder to lightly massage where she could reach. Penny averted her eyes to ask, "Does that mean... Do you like it enough that maybe we could do that again sometime?"
"Penny," he said quietly, eyes flashing, "we can do that whenever you like. I mean it. Absolutely whenever. Come wake me up in the middle of the night of you want."
Mal leaned forward to peck her cheek, the nuzzles into her gently, wrapping and arm around her middle to hold her against him.
She eyed him skeptically, shivering slightly for the change she noticed in his eyes but still a little disbelieving that he might want his sleep disturbed for it. "I'll try to be considerate than that."
Closing her eyes and hugging him warmly she nuzzled against his ear with happy little hums, finally enjoying a proper afterglow in full relaxation. It didn't take her long to realize where they were and remember where she should have been, though.
Tightening her arms around him with a bit of sadness she whispered, "Going to fall asleep like this. I should go back."
Mal tightened his arms around her at that, laying back on the bed and pulling her with him, trapped against his side.
"Stay," he urged quietly, kissing her shoulder before reaching up to run his fingers through her hair. "I can get up early and take you to your bed if you're worried about Kura..."
She frowned at that, allowing herself to be pulled in and nuzzling against his chest. It was a tempting thought, but she didn't want him to be in trouble with her if he got caught doing that. But what was she going to do about it? Throw him out? Penny knew that couldn't happen unless she was cast out as well and she truly doubted her teacher would be so cold towards her.
"And if she sees you doing that? I don't trust that you'd be very sneaky. Bumbling fool in the morning," she teased lightly, remembering the previous day's bumps and bruises far too well. "And how can I trust you to wake up, Mister Not-a-morning-person?"
He chuckled, holding her a little tighter, and teased, "You underestimate what a man can do for the sake of a beautiful girl, Pretty Penny."
Penny shook her head against him, ducking briefly to try and hide her smile for the compliment. She was still skeptical, though, highly doubting he could make such a change just for thinking she was beautiful.
"Fine, I'll stay," she conceded with a huff, lifting her head to look around for her discarded nightgown. It felt odd to not be wearing one in bed all of a sudden even though she wasn't the least bit cold with him beside her.
"Good." He kissed the tip of her nose, then pulled back slightly, eyes following her movements.
Chuckling when he realized what she wanted, released her long enough to grab her nightgown off the foot of the bed. "Looking for this?"
Blue eyes brightened once she caught sight of it and she nodded eagerly as she sat up a bit more. "Yeah. Feels different like this. You know, being naked," she admitted with heated cheeks, reaching out for it so she could cover herself up again. "Never like this."
Smirking wickedly, Mal held the garment just out of reach. "Oh, I don't know," he mused, eyes flicking over her. "I suddenly think I'd rather hate to lose this view."
Her face fell a bit, hearing that. Eyes widened in a moment of panic but she realized it was more for him controlling the situation than any embarrassment over it. It did feel a bit strange to know someone else could see all of her but after all they'd done she wasn't particularly bothered by him aside from knowing it was wrong for her to be so exposed.
Still, she reached a bit more for the pesky garment to give it one more try. "Not like you can see much anyway, it's dark," she accused lightly.
"Mm..." Mal ducked his head to nuzzle into her neck, allowing her to grab the nightgown with dramatic reluctance. "I have really good night vision," he murmured, ghosting his lips over her skin.
"Do you?" She tried not to sound too impressed with that, nuzzling against his hair for his affections instead as she held the gown close to her chest with a sly little smirk. "I'll try to remember that." She leaned away to slip back into it at last.
Penny flopped back against the bed, wriggling slightly to get comfortable as she stared up at the familiar-yet-not ceiling. Everything was just a little different, not quite in the right place as she was used to in her own room. "You really don't mind?" she murmured softly, somehow feeling that she was inconveniencing him by taking up part of the bed despite how he'd asked her to stay.
"Quite the opposite," Mal assured her quietly, wrapping his arm around her waist and tugging her back against him. "Now hush. Get some sleep."
Penny accepted that without fuss, smiling warmly as she settled herself against him again. She quite liked the warmth, enjoying the simplicity of having someone beside her to rest with. With a soft yawn she mumbled, "Thank you, Mal. For this. All of it." Nuzzling against his side and slipping a leg between his own to twine them together Penny closed her eyes and allowed sleep to claim her exhausted body at last.
Mal chuckled softly, nuzzling into her hair. "You really need to stop thanking me," he murmured, tightening his arms around her unconsciously as he drifted off.
Nestled against him, she found it was actually quite easy to drift to sleep. She had no fear of Kura, at least for the moment with his promise to her, and somehow being with him seemed to cancel out the restlessness that came with sleeping in a bed that was not her own.
With that peace came the fulfillment of her word at least, the young mage sleeping soundly through the night beside him.
True to his word, Mal managed to wake up around dawn and sat up a bit, looking at the young woman asleep in his arms. He smiled, reaching up to brush her hair away from her cheek gently. Very slowly and carefully, he let her go to pull his breeches on, then laid back down beside her and just enjoyed the closeness for a moment.
Then, with a small sigh, he slipped one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulders, carefully lifting her up and cradling her against his chest, trying not to wake her as he stood from the bed.
Penny slept peacefully through the disturbances, curling in close and turning her face to burrow against his chest as she was lifted. She mumbled soft, incoherent complaints but didn't wake for it, happy enough to resettle against him and his familiar warmth.
While Kura had long since disappeared to her own quarters she'd left his clean clothes folded into a neat stack on the floor next to his door. Aside from their movements, though, the house was peaceful and silent.
The phoenix noticed the clothes by his door and smiled slightly, moving down the hall to Penny's room and bumping it open with his hip.
He crossed to the bed and gently laid the girl down, drawing a blanket up to cover her and kissing her forehead, smoothing her hair back. "Sweet dreams, Pretty Penny," he whispered, backing away to return to his own room.
She frowned slightly to be removed from his arms, automatically turning towards his touch and curling up to clutch the blanket to her as a replacement. It wasn't quite the same but after a bit more of her muttered complaints Penny relaxed back to get at least a couple more hours of sleep.
Sensing the disturbance, though, Kura was up and poking her head out into the hall, curious if Penny might have been up so early to sneak away to the study again.
Too tired to be properly observant, Mal sort of stumbled back to his room, oblivious to the older mage's presence as he yawned and flopped back onto the bed.
Kura watched him with wide eyes, completely stunned as she saw the casual manner in which the phoenix crossed the hall, and shirtless at that. That had definitely been Penny's room he'd been leaving, she had no question about that.
Once he was gone she waited a few minutes before cracking her door a bit more and padding out into the hall. She hurried to Penny's door and flung it open, not even bothering to knock as she suspected she would find the girl in some compromising situation or another. Her apprentice lie fast asleep, though. The room was undisturbed and the girl apparently clothed by what she could see of her. Frustratingly, nothing seemed wrong aside from what she'd witnessed in the hall.
With a sigh the older mage backed away and shut the door gently to return to her own quarters, only casting a brief glance of suspicion towards Mal's door before disappearing again. She had some questions, some very important questions for them both as she assumed the phoenix was up to something less than savory, but that could all wait until a decent hour.
Mal was out in a matter of moments, and sleeping heavily, sprawled diagonally across his bed. For once, that strange off feeling he always seemed to get when Penny wasn't around seemed to have abated.
Penny finally awoke a few hours later, a little confused at first to be back in her own bed. Somehow she'd expected herself not to sleep through her relocation but apparently she had.
Eager to keep up the guise that nothing was amiss, though, she was quick to get up and dress herself for the day. There was an odd tenderness and soreness within her with nearly every movement that was more than a little uncomfortable, but she pushed through it to make herself presentable for the day.
Hurrying out into the hall she was relieved to find Kura wasn't up yet, or so she thought. True to her word the young mage got herself to the kitchen -only pausing briefly at the study door to ensure it wasn't locked- to busy herself preparing a fresh loaf of bread for them, true to her word.
The noises from the kitchen gradually dragged Mal from his sleep and he groggily set about stumbling around looking for his shirt before pulling it on and making his way haltingly down the hall to the kitchen.
"Mornin'," he murmured fuzzily to Penny, sort of lurching across the space that separated them to plant a clumsy kiss on her cheek before he collapsed into a chair and let his head thunk onto the table.
Penny turned slightly at his voice, surprised to see him up before Kura. "Morning," she replied distractedly, looking past him down to the empty hall.
"Wonder if she's not feeling well," she thought aloud, frowning and reaching out to give him a quick hug around his shoulders before returning to her work with the finicky dough.
"You going to take a nap there?" she teased lightly.
"Mmmnnph," Mal responded, waving a hand at her tiredly "Maybe. There will be no-" He yawned. "No judgement."
"No, no. Plenty of judgment," she teased, though she was content to leave him alone even though she had lots of questions as she busied herself instead with setting the loaf in their oven and cleaning up all the flour she'd left on the counter.
Penny had time to make tea for them all as well before Kura finally showed her face, the older mage studying her student in an odd manner as she silently appeared in the doorway.
When Penny caught sight of her she simply smiled as if nothing were different and mumbled a quiet, "Good morning." It wasn't unusual for them all to be a bit groggy, after all, so she felt she could hide her feelings well.
"Good morning," Kura answered slowly, looking around the kitchen as if she'd been expecting something else before slipping into a chair across from Mal.
The phoenix managed to raise his head and gave Kura a sleepy smile and a tired wave of acknowledgement before letting his head drop back onto the table.
"Rough night?" she guessed, raising a brow accusingly and not willing to let him have a peaceful moment's rest.
Penny grew tense but stayed silent, hoping he wouldn't be stupid enough to admit to anything as she continued to keep herself busy.
"Hm?" Mal glanced up at her, a little surprised by her tone. "Uh- not particularly," he hedged, suddenly feeling much more awake.
Kura glanced to Penny's back, eyes lingering on her seemingly oblivious student. Her eyes flickered back to him as she asked, "Could your bed do with a bit more padding, then? Not good if you aren't feeling well-rested." She gestured at the table with a chuckle to add, "Surely it could be better than the table as your pillow, yes?"
"Oh, no, my bed's fine." He smiled, relaxing a bit. "I'm just- I'm always a bit off in the mornings, sorry." He chuckled and shook his head. "Gods, I probably gave poor Penny some bruises the other morning, pretty much tripped over her."
"Tripped?" Kura glanced to Penny again at that. It seemed quite a lot still hadn't been told to her about their day away.
"It wasn't bad, I'm fine," Penny tried to dismiss, turning at last to set out a cup of tea for each of them before taking a seat next to Mal. She winced at the tugging soreness that came with going from standing to sitting and Kura definitely noticed.
"What else haven't you told me?" The older mage was teasing but Penny cast a guilty glance at Mal for help that also didn't go without notice.
"Not much, just... private things. About phoenixes," she hurried to correct. "Mal did you want to tell her?"
Noticing her wince, Male frowned and gnawed at his bottom lip guiltily, unconsciously reaching out to touch her arm.
"What? Oh." He shrugged and shot Kura a quick smile. "Well, I mean, it's not like any of it is particularly secret. I guess if you want to know something, just ask."
Kura shrugged, taking her cup to sip at the tea. "I know a little already, but I wouldn't even know what to ask. I'm sure it was just new for Penny. Haven't really had her studying your kind, though now I sort of regret it." She chuckled and Penny narrowed her eyes at her for that.
"Not like knowing more would help me," she mumbled bitterly, though she lifted her arm a bit to brush against Mal's, "It's my magic that's the mystery."
"Just about everything about you is a mystery, Pretty Penny," Mal teased, throwing her a wink and nudging her leg with his under the table.
"It is not!" she protested with a pout, though she faltered a bit and had to nudge him back for that, her lips twitching with a smile for his continued use of her pet name.
Kura just rolled her eyes, thankfully missing what was happening beneath the table. "You give her too much credit, she just needs to learn."
"I know she does," Mal said evenly, wrinkling his nose at Penny briefly. "But she tries harder than just about anyone I've ever met. That counts for something."
Penny averted her eyes at that, fussing her lip anxiously. She didn't really like it being pointed out that she had to work so hard at her studies.
"Now that's a mystery," Kura agreed, chuckling and shaking her head slightly. She flashed Penny an apologetic smile.
"Alright, I get it," the young mage muttered, glaring playfully at each of them before shooting at Mal, "I'm not the brightest. At least I'm doing something, though."
"Well hopefully your firebird can learn a trick or two with me today," Kura reminded her, negating Penny's jab and leaving the girl pouting once more. "And how about we get some fresh air, hm? Take a book and read outside today."
It didn't sound like the worst idea but she cast a questioning look to Mal, uncertain how comfortable he might be with that. "As long as it doesn't rain, right?"
He smiled at her softly. "Long as I'm not a bird, I'll survive a bit of rain," Mal assured her. He gave Kura a smile and a nod, standing. "What are we waiting for then?"
Penny glanced to the oven in concern, the small loaf only needing a little bit more time by her guess. "Bread," she whispered.
Kura stood though and followed Penny's gaze. "Well you can stay here can't you? We can go ahead."
Penny frowned and shook her head, remembering their initial incident with distance. "I could...maybe stand at the door if you want to go ahead, but Mal can't go very far from me," she explained apologetically, remaining in her seat for fear of being unable to hide the assumed discomfort of standing again.
Mal shook his head quickly, looking at her with concern. "I can stay here," he told Kura. "WE could meet you outside when the bread's done?"
"I suppose there's no rush," Kura conceded, shrugging and heading off to gather a few books and supplies from the study ahead of them while she waited.
Penny watched her go and then breathed a sigh of relief, happy that it seemed Kura hadn't caught on to what they'd been up to. "Gods she has so much energy today," she chuckled, moving to stand up gingerly again and shuffle across the kitchen to stare at the bread.
Frowning in concern, Mal moved up beside her and laid a hand on the small of her back. "Are you alright?" he murmured quietly, cheeks going a little red and eyes searching her face.
While he was by no means an innocent, he'd never actually- well, been through such a situation before. The women he was used to romancing had a been more experience. He felt suddenly and incredibly guilty.
"What?" Penny turned to look at him, confused at first but then realizing what he was asking about by his flushed cheeks.
"Oh... I mean, I guess I am. Just a bit sore," she admitted softly, eyes lifting to stare at him directly as she asked, "Is that, um, normal?" Gods she hoped not. At least, not if they would ever do anything intimate again, but it was a little concerning for her in its newness. She'd never been warned about such a thing and wondered if she should try and sneak them away to visit a doctor.
"I- um..." He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck. "I've never actually- I mean, it's obviously different for you- girls- women- your first time-"
Flushing, Mal put his arms around her middle and nuzzled into her hair. "Yes, I think it's normal, sweetling," he murmured. "I'm just- I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have- I should have been more gentle with you."
She frowned, shaking her head quickly and lifting her arms to wrap him in a quick hug. "I wasn't trying to blame you," she apologized, feeling bad that he was jumping to that conclusion.
"I don't think it's your fault. Maybe you're right, though. Maybe just something about firsts," she offered, pressing a quick kiss to his shoulder after checking to make sure Kura wasn't heading back down the hall yet.
Mal returned the hug gently, burying his face in the slope of her shoulder and giving a noncommittal grunt in response. He still felt guilty as hell.
"Never want to hurt you, Penny," he mumbled.
"You didn't hurt," she told him again, firmer this time though she tried to keep the mood light. She was a little touched by the sentiment at least, though she thought it was a little silly to be. Nobody reasonable person would want to hurt her, of course.
"Didn't mean to worry you," she sighed, rubbing at his back gently.
He huffed a small chuckle, kissing her cheek, then her temple. It was rather addicting, he discovered, moving to her forehead. "Too bad," he told her softly. "I'm going to worry about you. You'll just have to get used to it."
Penny frowned at that, a little worried about him resenting her for it somehow but unsure how to convince him otherwise. "I forbid you," she warned him gently, leaning up to kiss his cheek with the kindest smile she could muster without pouting like she wanted to.
"You forbid me?" Mal chuckled again, spinning them around to press her back against a counter and dipping to kiss her neck.
"Sweetheart, that's not gonna happen. Besides..." He feathered kisses over her collar. "I rather like worrying about you."
She rolled her eyes at that even as she continued to cling to him in a fierce hug. She had to take advantage, after all, before Kura came back.
"I still forbid you," she grumbled stubbornly against his shoulder, though her body betrayed her for the slight shiver his affections elicited. "You'll be sorry."
Mal smirked. "Will I?" he breathed, kissing the hollow of her throat and letting his hands wandering teasingly up and down her sides before settling at her waist.
She tilted her head back slightly, humming happily for the warmth of his touch against her sides. "Mhm," she mumbled, refusing to speak up as her voice wasn't nearly as strong as she wanted it to be. Penny leaned away from him a bit but it wasn't very helpful and she just ended up pressing herself back against the counter more.
"Especially if you turn me into an awful cook," she added teasingly, moving to slip away from him with a parting kiss to his cheek to return to her post before the oven.
"Well, we wouldn't want that," the phoenix murmured, stepping back to let her go by and watching her with his head tilted slightly to the side.
Busying herself with watching the last painstaking moments of the bread's baking Penny tried to ignore the obvious eyes upon her. When she retrieved the loaf at last and set it out to cool she was happy to see that it hadn't burnt anywhere like she'd feared.
"Guess you're safe for now," she teased, turning to flash a quick smile that was cut short by the sound of Kura's voice.
"Smells done," she praised, sliding a stack of books onto the table and setting a small satchel beside them. Penny gawked, wondering what in the world Kura had in mind to need all of that for a single day. She did note the books they'd left on the table were among them at least.
"Yeah, pretty much," she mumbled, turning again to busy herself with wrapping the bread up.
Starting slightly at Kura's arrival, Mal tried to lean back agains the table and look casual.
He arched an eyebrow at the stack of books, then looked at the older mage curiously. "You expect us to get through all that?"
"Well, Penny might," she teased lightly, "Most are just for reference, though."
Penny held the bread gingerly, shaking her head for the teasing as she moved to pick up what books she could with her free arm. "I think it's a bit of a waste."
Kura just shrugged, taking up the rest and turning to lead her to the door. "Using your resources is never a waste, Penny. Besides, this is a favor to your phoenix, remember?"
Penny just shut her mouth and followed along obediently, not wanting to argue her point when it seemed so obvious she wouldn't win with her. Being out in the sun again was nice, though, and it wasn't a particularly windy day.
Mal chuckled and shook his head as he followed the two women out, taking a few books from Penny in an effort to make things easier on her.
He tilted his head up to bask in the sunlight for a moment, letting out a low sigh.
Kura stopped once they reached the shade of some of the trees at the edge of the yard. Penny settled down into the grass, stiff but doing her best not to show discomfort in front of her teacher. Cracking open her book from the previous day and setting out a notebook on her lap she found herself unable to actually read as she watched Kura distractedly, intrigued as she seemed to pull something out of the satchel.
"Mal," Kura prompted gently, holding her hands out open-palmed together with a white and blue flower nestled between them. It was far from freshly-plucked but also wasn't wilting. "What do you see?"
It had a faint, glowing quality that Penny could detect, but the flower itself was invisible to her. The young woman just stared at her mentor like she was crazy, tilting her head curiously for the odd, blue glow she seemed to hold in her hands.
"What is tha-" But Kura cut her off, shushing her gently.
"Hm?" Mal knelt in front of her, looking at the flower and then back at her face. "A flower. White and blue. I don't recognize it, what's it called?"
Kura smiled fondly, glancing to Penny and then to the flower again. "It's a 'blue eyes' but it's enchanted. You can see the whole thing?" She lifted it a little closer to his face. "Nothing blurry? Nothing faded?"
He squinted, taking a closer look. "Ah- it's glowing a bit. Is that what you mean?"
Penny sat up slightly, peering up at her teacher's hands accusingly. The glow was still there but she couldn't see any flower. Frankly it made her a little jealous that he could.
Kura grinned, chuckling softly. "Not exactly, but if you can tell what it is and can see that I think you'll be safe." She turned it over onto one palm and gently plucked off a petal, popping it into her mouth and turning to look at Penny as she ate it to check that it was still working even for her.
She smiled fondly at her student, taking in the sight of the shimmering, nearly translucent wings that billowed around her. Her features were finer, sharper and faint, swirling markings of blue and green framed her eyes and peeked out from the collar of her dress. Most of them were hidden by her clothing, but the older mage was curious if her magical flower might provide a firebird with the same view of Fae.
"Take one of these. Tell me if you can see anything," she offered, holding her hand out to him again.
Mal warily took a petal and eyed it for a moment before shrugging and popping it into his mouth with a muttered, "If you say so."
He glanced at Penny- and suddenly froze, eyes going wide. "Oh my gods," he murmured, unconsciously extending a hand toward her wings and then snatching it quickly back.
His eyes locked on hers and he smiled, shaking his head. "I don't think I can call you Pretty Penny anymore. Doesn't do you justice."
Kura smiled warmly, tucking the rest of the flower back into her satchel, quite pleased that she'd found success with their first attempt.
"What do you mean?" Penny asked indignantly, eyes narrowing in confusion. She shot Kura an accusatory glare, knowing there was something she simply couldn't be a part of because of a stupid 'flower' that they could see and she couldn't.
Her eyes quickly found Mal's again, though, clear concern upon her face. In reaction, her wings lifted slightly, giving a few fluttering flaps against her shoulders that the young woman simply didn't feel.
He smiled softly, reaching up to stroke her cheek. Then, because he really couldn't help himself, he traced his thumb over the patterns framing her eyes almost reverently.
"Beautiful," Mal murmured, eyes flicking from her face to her wings and back. He shook his head. "Gods, Penny, if you had my view..."
Penny looked between Mal and Kura suspiciously, uncertain what exactly they were seeing but feeling confident that whatever she'd given him had helped him to see whatever it was Kura could see in her. She sat still as his fingertips traced her face, eyes searching his own curiously.
"What- What is it?" she asked quietly, truly having no idea what she looked like to him.
Kura watched them from a respectful distance, speaking softly to Mal, "If it works the same way for you that should last you about half a day."
"Oh." He frowned for a moment, suddenly disappointed. Glancing at Kura, he asked, "How rare are those flowers, exactly?"
"Oh, not very. It's the magic that is," she explained gently, "But it isn't difficult for me to manage. Just a window spell. More to...help things along. It's easier to recognize her again once you've seen her." She glanced at Penny with a sympathetic smile. "It just doesn't work both ways. No reason a fairy should need magic to see her own kind."
Penny frowned at that, feeling a little broken to hear that reminder. "What do you see?" she asked again, curious if a phoenix might see things differently than she'd ever been told.
"Your wings," Mal murmured, glancing at them with a soft little smile. "But mostly just...you. You've got this- it's almost like a glow. And these markings..."
He traced over them again with a fingertip. Suddenly, he felt like he was understanding the connection between fae and fell creatures in a whole new way. He almost forgot Kura existed for a moment, enthralled with the girl in front of him.
"My wings?" She smiled softly at that, finally relaxing a little at the reminder and feeling a little more confident that she might understand what he was talking about. The appendages themselves gave a happy little flutter that mirrored the small lurch in her chest for his gentle touch.
"Not too weird? I mean it must be a little, right?" She sighed softly as she thought on it, pouting some as she was certain she'd never seen anyone just walking around the province with anything so visible.
"It's not weird at all," Mal said softly, shaking his head. He laid his palm against her cheek. "It's beautiful." His smile grew a big and he added, a little quieter, "You're beautiful, Penny."
By now, Kura was almost completely forgotten. He barely had the restraint to resist leaning in for a kiss.
Her eyes flared slightly at that, cheeks growing warm as she tried to duck and hide, though she couldn't quite bring herself to throw his hand or push him away.
"Mal," she mumbled quietly in complaint, wings drawing forward slightly in a poor attempt at shielding her. Instead they brushed against his arms, the light contact making her heart lurch again.
Kura kept herself turned away slightly out of respect for their relative privacy, keeping a watchful eye on them but choosing not to interfere. It was interesting to her, seeing how the phoenix reacted to her student. She had her suspicions about him, especially after the previous night, but she made a silent vow to remain vigilant rather than muddle the obvious bond they shared.
Mal shivered slightly at the brush of her wing, glancing at it. "Can you really not feel that?" he asked, sounding rather incredulously stunned.
She followed his gaze, lifting her head slightly and trying to will herself to see whatever it was he was seeing but nothing changed. "No- What...did you feel?" She asked hesitantly, uncertain what he was even referring to, what had even happened.
He smiled. "Your wing just brushed my arm. They keep...fluttering, sort of. I think they react to your emotions."
Emotions?
For some reason she was a little doubtful of that, though there really wasn't any reason to be. She didn't even know enough about herself to know what she looked like so she was hardly a judge of what any of it meant.
"Didn't mean to," she muttered apologetically, wings drawing back to fold down slightly against her shoulders instead. She cast a troubled look to Kura. "So he's stuck with seeing...this? Whatever it is?"
"For a little while I'd assume." She shrugged, smiling slightly in assurance. She found it a little amusing that Penny was even worried about that when it seemed to be what the phoenix wanted. "Time will tell, obviously."
Penny nodded, tilting her head to search his face with a small smile. "Don't eat any flowers a mage offers you," she whispered, completely serious though her tone was playful.
"Why wouldn't I, when I get to see this?" Mal retorted, smiling gently.
He finally realized how close he was to her, how that might be a little inappropriate, and sat back with a soft flush. "Ah...ahem. Let's, um...get reading then, shall we?"
Penny wanted to believe it was a good thing, she really did, but she didn't understand it at all and simply hoped he was happy with his choice and undamaged for it.
She glanced to the stack of books, shaking her head and casting a rather helpless look to her teacher. "You meant it, right? Not all of them?"
"No, no," Kura chuckled, stepping closer to take the majority of them and leave them just with the few that had been on the desk before. After a thoughtful glance at Mal she shoved her hand back into her satchel and held the rest of the flower out to him. "You can have that. I can always enchant another," she insisted. "I doubt it'll hurt you if it hasn't already."
Penny rolled her eyes and gestured at the bread. "Take some of that, too." The older mage just waved her off, though, unfazed by the young woman's obvious grumpiness that she wouldn't partake in what she'd made for them.
"At least finish reading that book," she urged her, shifting around slightly with a sigh to rebalance her books on her lap. Taking up the second volume from the previous day she held it out expectantly to Mal as she watched Kura head back towards their home.
Mal took the flower with murmured thanks and broke off a piece of the bread, smiling at Penny. He took the book, glancing at Kura as she disappeared back into the house.
The moment he was sure she couldn't see them, he let the book fall to the ground and darted forward, cupping Penny's face in his hands and pulling her into a fierce kiss.
"Gods," he mumbled against her lips before trailing kisses up to her nose, then her eyelids, then her brow. "You wouldn't believe how badly I've been wanting to do that."
Penny flailed in her surprise, hands clutching at his arms for support as she teetered precariously. Almost immediately her wings were snapping out again, flapping with full but gentle motions in quiet contentment for all the sudden kisses. "Mal?" She whispered her confusion, tilting her head up to press another kiss to his jaw.
She smiled warmly, not really understanding why herself but very happy that he wanted to anyway. "Did her crazy flower make me a million times more kissable or something?" She teased.
He chuckled, trailing his lips down to her jaw. "You're always kissable, Penny," he murmured heatedly. "Honestly, it was only knowing Kura would flay me alive that kept me from pouncing on you."
"She would not!" Penny protested immediately, pouting slightly even though she wasn't very confident in those words. "Okay, maybe a little bit of scolding but she wouldn't be that bad!"
The young mage giggled, setting her books aside much more gently so she could scoot a little closer to him. "No need to pounce, though. Not going anywhere," she teased lightly, leaning up to kiss him again. "See?"
"Hmm." He wrapped his arms around her, careful of her wings even though she didn't seem to feel it when something touched them.
"Gods you're beautiful," he muttered, tilting his head to deepen the kiss.
Penny hummed happily at that, heart leaping wildly in her chest as her wings settled against his arms. She reached out to hug him close, glancing briefly to the cottage to make sure they still had relative privacy before she relaxed against him. "It's just me," she whispered against his lips, not quite able to help herself as she leaned in for another tender kiss.
Crooning quietly, Mal lurched her against his vest, lifting her almost into his lap and kissing her deeply. "Just you is a lot more than you give yourself credit for," he said quietly, peppering light little kisses over her cheek to her ear.
Clambering forward she moved herself up to somewhat awkwardly straddle his lap, far too eager to be closer to him again. It was like the reminder of his touch sparked a hunger within her and she just couldn't get enough of him.
Her eyes glinted playfully, a happy sigh escaping her as she angled her head away slightly to give him more room. It was too good, too warm and tingly in her chest to push him away. "I know what I am, Mal. I'm just me," she repeated softly, trying to be gentle about it but stubborn nonetheless.
He growled softly for her shifts, holding her closer against him. His hands drifted to her hips and rigged lightly as he kissed at the delicates skin just behind her ear.
"And what you are is amazing," he murmured simply, nuzzling into her hair.
She had to laugh a little at that, not really knowing what else she could say against it that might get him to stop. "Alright, fine. Amazing," she mocked lightly, leaning forward to press a few soft kisses to his shoulder.
She shifted a little on his lap, yielding to his hands where she could and holding him close around his shoulders for good measure. Penny sighed happily at the warmth of their chests pressed together, nuzzling lightly at the side of his neck in contentment.
Mal swallowed a small sound of encouragement, clenching his jaw. "Penny," he huffed out, turning his attention to the curve of her neck. "You- be careful, alright? You're playing with fire, love."
She frowned against him but didn't lift her head, just watched him out of the corner of her eye. She realized pretty quickly what the issue was but that didn't make her like the opposite any better.
"I'll be careful," she finally whispered, pressing light kisses to his shoulder as she teased him lightly, "but I don't see any fire."
Even saying that, though, she was sitting up to shift herself back a little so they might not be pressed so close together, much as it almost pained her to do so. "...still too much?"
He chuckled, voice a little rough, and brushed his hand up and down her thigh, leaning forward to kiss the tip of her nose.
"Perfect," he murmured, nuzzling against her happily.
Penny hummed pleasantly, wings giving happy little flutters as she watched the hand at her thigh with warm cheeks. She knew it was too familiar, but she also liked having his attention.
Her hands glided up to rest gently at the tops of his shoulders, blue eyes studying his face in curious silence, not quite realizing that she'd fallen quiet.
"We should probably...get to these books," Mal murmured after a few moments, making no move to pull away from her.
She frowned slightly at that, leaning a little closer and making a noncommittal sound. Not really able to help herself, Penny scooted forward again on his lap and set her forehead against his own with a rather sullen look as her arms shifted to wrap around his neck.
"Penny," Mal groaned quietly, half exasperated and half fond. "Seriously. Books. What if Kura come back out here..." He kissed her nose again, then trailed light little kisses over her cheeks.
"I would be in trouble," she whispered, smiling guiltily at her fairly damning position but honestly feeling it might be worth the hassle. That was, if Mal didn't seem so bothered by it. It wasn't her goal to make him uncomfortable with her mentor.
"...I'll go." She sighed, leaning in to press one more kiss to his lips before moving to slide off his lap and recover her books.
He sighed as she moved away, picking up his own book. "You don't have to go too far," he murmured, reaching out to grab her wrist and keep her against his side, slipping an arm around her shoulders.
Penny gave him a questioning look for that, glancing from her wrist to his face and back as her wings gave another gentle flutter. She soon relaxed and settled against him, though, angling her legs a bit so she could tuck herself into his side.
"As long as you don't mind," she mumbled, resting her head against his shoulder as she reopened her book on her lap. Once she'd done that, though, she lifted her free hand to rest atop his knee, still feeling the need to keep some connection to him.
"I don't," Mal assured her quickly. He opened his own book and let his cheek rest against the top of her head as he started reading.
Penny was content to just sit like that, eventually cracking open her notebook once she was a little further along to scribble a few notes down.
It was nice, she had to admit. The young mage relaxed enough to snack on the fresh bread a bit between her reading, completely caught up in words on the pages.
Not as diligent a researcher as his companion, Mal found his attention wandering, and every so often her would reach up to brush a bit of hair behind Penny's ear, or just take a moment to look at her wings, still rather awed.
Penny was aware of his wandering attention but it didn't bother her at all. Occasionally she glanced up to him when she felt the slight adjustments he made, lips twitching up slightly each time before she tried to return her focus to the task at hand.
"Find anything?" It was mostly a teasing question, though, the young mage quite aware of his lack of focus on the books he'd been so eager to return to.
"Hm? Oh, uh..." He flushed, giving her a sheepish smile. "Not really. You?"
She turned her head slightly, nuzzling back against his shoulder a bit. "Just a few things, nothing that really seems...right, though," she admitted. "I'll keep at it. Something will pop up, I'm sure."
"Mhm..." Mal agreed, smiling and pressing a quick kiss to the top of her head. "We've got time though. Don't exhaust yourself."
"There's nothing exhausting about reading," she protested gently, completely ignoring how much of a visible toll it had been taking on her in the past few days.
"Uh huh." He arched an eyebrow at her. "Unless you refuse to eat. And sleep. And you decide to put so much effort into your research you start to get sick."
"I'm not neglecting myself." She rolled her eyes, huffing an exasperated sigh. "I'm doing everything right and nothing bad has happened." Penny didn't quite realize how defensive she was getting over a simple warning of concern.
"Yes you are," Mal informed her mildly. "But it's mostly okay, because you have Kura and I here to make sure you don't just waste away."
"My needs are minimal. I'm young, I'm strong." -she turned to another page in her book, eyes trying to focus on reading again despite how much she was enjoying their talk- "I wouldn't even get close to anything like that." Her argument was gentle, but still quite firm in her own mind.
He snorted quietly. "You are the most stubborn creature I have ever met," he informed her, dipping to place a kiss to the spot behind her ear, then flicked his tongue out teasingly. He knew it was probably not the smartest move he'd ever made, but he couldn't seem to help himself.
Penny smiled to herself, rolling her eyes at his words. They seemed silly coming from a phoenix that had successfully asserted his will to interfere every day he'd been with her to prevent her from taxing herself one way or another. Still, it was hard to ignore how tired she was, how drained she'd been feeling. She just didn't want to admit that he was right about her.
The mage shivered slightly for the light brush of warmth against her neck, breath hitching slightly even as she tilted her head to shoot him a playful glare.
"I prefer to think of it as determined," she said softly, thoroughly distracted by him yet again as the hand holding her book open relaxed to rest limply on her lap.
Mal huffed a quiet laugh, trailing soft kisses further down her neck. "You really need to relax," he murmured against her skin, wrapping one arm around her waist and tugging her a little closer against his side.
She breathed a small, happy sigh at the contact and automatically leaned a little more heavily against him for it. "I'm not relaxed?" The question was calm, if a little confused. She wasn't quite sure why Mal might say that, she felt like she was a pretty relaxed person.
"Sure, sometimes." He kissed her cheek, then her temple. "But when you're too focused on these books you get tense." He reached up to rub soothing little circles at the nape of her neck with his thumb.
"That's not true," she protested lightly, eyes half closing for his attention. A soft hum escaped her, head tilting slightly as she savored the bit of warmth from his hand. "I'm just very...dedicated to my goals." Again she was dismissing it, evading his point by making a different one for herself.
Mal chuckled quietly, kissing the back of her neck. "I'm not going to argue this with you," he murmured. "I know better than to get into it with someone as stubborn as you."
Penny smirked slightly for that, tilting her head to shoot him a rather triumphant look over her shoulder. "That means I'm right and you're wrong," she teased, thoroughly enjoying the sense that she was "winning" against him.
It really wasn't in his nature to back down from something like that, but for some reason with Penny he found it almost endearing. "For now," he muttered, kissing the back of her neck again and wrapping his other arm around her middle to hug her properly.
Penny grinned, positively pleased that he was actually letting her have a victory if only for the moment. She wriggled against him slightly, leaning back and lifting an arm to cover one of his with her own, comforted by the gesture and liking how they were so close.
She stayed quiet for a moment, just enjoying the warmth and the calm around them as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. "...You do help," she finally murmured, "I think I relax better with you around."
"Hmm." Mal smiled, nuzzling against the side of her head. "That so?" he teased quietly. "I was under the impression I made you a bit flustered." He dipped his head to kiss her shoulder lightly.
She hummed, blushing slightly for the reminder and all the attention but not at all deterred by it. "A little, but that isn't a bad thing. Just kind of...part of it. And I accept that. I think you like making me flustered anyway."
He chuckled again, tightening his arms around her for a moment. "Good. Because I like making you flustered."
He glanced toward the house and added, "When your mentor's not around. Because that's just asking for trouble."
Penny rolled her eyes, turning her head towards their home and peering at the windows with a rather guilty look, somehow expecting Kura to be watching them. There was no sign of the mage, though.
"Good thing she's busy, then," Penny chuckled, trying to refocus herself on her task as she picked up her book again with her free hand, not quite willing to move her arm away from him yet.
Mal sighed and tried to refocus on his own book, leaving one arm around her waist. He hummed softly to himself as he started reading again, rather off key, but he didn't notice.
Finally the words stuck, her mind picking up where she left off and actually getting through the account written upon the page. The sounds he made seemed a little odd, but she recognized them as a song of some sort and eventually had to ask, "Mal, what is that?"
"What?" He blinked, refocusing on her. "Oh- um, a lullaby, I think. Do you know it?"
Penny shook her head. It didn't sound like anything she'd ever heard, at least. She smiled warmly at what that led her to assume, though. "Is it...something Adrian sang to you? When you were a boy?"
He shrugged, frowning slightly. "Maybe. I'm not sure I really remember..." He trailed off and glanced away, distracted by the thought now. Where had he heard it? Adrian had never been much for singing lullabies.
"Oh. Not from your childhood, then?" She thought on it for a moment, trying to remember what the ones she'd heard sounded like before realizing she was just distracting herself. Shaking her head, she lowered her eyes to her book again without another word.
"Mm. Maybe." Shaking his head to put it from his mind, Mal returned his attention to his own book, still humming softly and completely unconsciously.
She smiled unconsciously for the sound, off key as it was. It was still relatively soothing to have it at all and soon she was falling back into the rhythm of reading and jotting notes down. "I wonder..." She mumbled to herself quietly, "Could the winds move us enough to break it? He said tangled...maybe it will untangle."
Mal arched an eyebrow as he looked down at the top of her head, considering that. "How do you mean?" he asked slowly, wondering if she was onto something.
Not realizing that she'd spoken aloud Penny snapped her head up to look at him, humming in acknowledgement as she mulled it over. "If air is part of our bond I could...maybe use the air, the wind against us" -she made a rather grand swirling gesture with one hand, having no idea how that might even work in actuality- "maybe it would be enough to, um, push us apart?"
She pouted thoughtfully, jotting the idea down in her notes as she muttered, "Would have to figure out how to control it first."
"Hmm..." He turned the idea over in his mind, musing. "Maybe. Might be something you should talk to Kura abut."
She narrowed her eyes at him for that, shaking her head before turning to get back to her books as she muttered, "I don't need her help."
"Penny." He frowned at her. "There's no shame in asking for advice. Even if you were some sort of master mage, this is a pretty unique problem."
She shook her head in frustration but didn't look up from her book. "Not a matter of shame or the problem... It's just her way. She helps where she knows I need it, but she wants me to figure things out for myself. She's just very...hands-off."
Penny gestured at their books with a tired smile. "I think we must be on the right path here if she didn't suggest reading something else. It's a lot of...banging my head against a wall, but it works. I think."
Mal's frown deepened. "I can see how that would be a helpful teaching technique," he said slowly, "but with this...Penny, I'm not sure that's very smart. Gods know you try harder than just about anyone I've ever met, and you obviously have some natural aptitude, but this is a problem that can't be solved by a student, not alone anyway."
"She doesn't want to help me," she grumbled bitterly, refusing to see reason in his words. "Not with that, at least. Or she can't, maybe. She said I had to do this on my own, remember?" Penny sighed in frustration, not really seeing how such a thing could be so anyway but believing her mentor's words. They might not have been true, but they were all she had to go off of.
The phoenix huffed out a breath and shook his head, still frowning, but not wanting to keep arguing with her. She was so damn stubborn.
Penny frowned, getting a pretty clear vibe from his silence that Mal didn't agree with her and didn't want to talk about whatever his opinion was. She took a few moments to just think, breathe, and attempt to continue her rather distracted reading.
"I might...ask her again," she finally decided, "since we know more now. Just don't expect any real help from her."
"I wouldn't expect her to have all the answers," Mal replied mildly, absently reaching up to run his hand gently over her back. "But a little help wouldn't be unwarranted."
She clenched her jaw at that, not really knowing what Kura might be able to tell her to help them along. For all she knew the mage would throw them a clue down the wrong path just so that she could learn it was the wrong path. It was a waste of Mal's time she didn't really want to pursue even if he did have more time than she could reasonably imagine at present. On the other hand, if Kura was actually helpful for once rather than cryptic it might help them unravel the bond faster.
"I know she likes to play games with me," Penny sighed, relaxing slightly for the soothing touch of his hand. Unaware of how it slipped between her wings she felt a trail of tingling warmth in its wake and a slight shiver that ran up her neck and through her shoulders. She angled herself a little closer, leaning into his side a bit more for it to seek comfort against the odd ache tugging in her belly.
"Maybe... Maybe you could ask her. I could just eavesdrop. I'm sure she'd listen to reason from you better than me," she suggested sheepishly, trying to keep the bitterness of that admission from her tone.
He huffed a laugh, noting the way she leaned against him at the touch and repeating the gesture, experimentally brushing his thumb against the juncture of her wing and shoulder blade.
"If you really want me to," Mal conceded, dipping to kiss the top of her head. He'd take it as a compromise.
It seemed like that odd sensation wasn't going to stop and just kept following his hand. Penny breathed a shaky sigh as her wing trembled slightly at the feeling of touch so close to something so delicate.
"I really want you to," she mumbled, curling her legs in slightly and turning her head to rest against his shoulder.
"You make me feel weird," she admitted quietly, brow furrowed anxiously as she wasn't sure if she wanted it to stop or not. "Not bad, just weird."
Mal stilled his hand, but didn't pull it away from her skin. "I can stop if you want me to," he murmured, hesitating and waiting for her to give him some sort of sign.
"No, I-" Penny wasn't even sure of what she was asking for as she ducked her head and mumbled, "It's just different. ...I liked it. If you wanted to."
"Sooo..." He let his thumb trail over the joint of her wing again, then splayed his hand flat between her shoulder blades so his pinky was touching one wing and his thumb the other. "You can feel this?"
She gasped at the sudden, gripping tightness in her chest and nearly overwhelming fluttering in her belly. Whether it was actually painful or not took her much longer than was comfortable to determine. She decided the practically stabbing, tingling heat from him touching both wings was just that and nothing more but she didn't understand what was triggering it.
It was puzzling, though. She was only certain she could feel his hand upon her back, but there was something else there too that was much more subtle and she couldn't quite put a name to it.
"I... feel your hand," she mumbled, brow furrowing in concern as she wasn't sure what else she was supposed to feel, if anything.
Mal sensed her tension and pulled his hand back quickly, brow furrowed. "I'm sorry, Penny, did I hurt you?" he asked, concerned.
The odd sensations gradually became less intense, the phantom touch lifting with the removal of his hand. She scrambled to sit up, arms contorting to reach behind herself to touch what she could reach of her back. It didn't come back, though, the warmth fading away even as she tried to replicate what he'd done.
"I don't...understand." She trailed off, finally giving up and letting her hands fall away as her eyes went wide in bewilderment.
"Didn't hurt, I just don't know what's happening," she admitted, feeling a little crazy now that it was just gone. "What did you do?"
The phoenix arched an eyebrow, a wicked smile slowly spreading across his lips. Well as long as he hadn't hurt her...
This could be fun.
"Guess," he murmured teasingly, reaching up to splay his hand between her wings again and leaning forward to kiss her at the same time, curious.
Penny breathed in a shuddering gasp, swept up in another wave of warmth and tingling little prickles as soon as his hand was upon her again.
She was rather stiff as he kissed her, neither pushing him away nor encouraging him as she wracked her brain, just trying to figure out what was happening to her. It was so odd to know he was causing it and yet not know how. She recognized the hand on her back, but the feeling was coming from somewhere else, somewhere inside of her.
She tilted her head slightly, just barely leaning away to whisper against his lips in awe, "Magic?"
He chuckled, kissing her forehead. "Of a sort," he teased quietly. "Your wings start here." He traced the line of one again, fingertip barely brushing the skin of her back, mostly touching the gossamer appendage.
"You're all magic, Penny," Mal murmured with a smile, stroking over her wing again.
Her eyes widened at the realization that he wasn't causing it at all, well not entirely; it was her magic and not his own. She wanted to reject that and was about to until she felt that same clenching tightness in her chest again that came and went in time with his strokes.
She muttered quietly in embarrassment, hunching her shoulders and leaning against him as if that might "protect" her from the vulnerable sensation. What she felt was undeniably caused at his hand so she didn't really have a reason not to believe him.
"You can feel them?" The appendages fluttered gently under his hand, a sensation that was mirrored in the little flips her heart wouldn't stop. It was odd to feel her body reacting to him but not quite registering the phantom trigger once again. It was simply a part of herself she'd never seen, never truly felt being so connected with her underdeveloped sense of magic.
"I can," Mal replied softly. He stilled the motion of his hand, watching her face carefully. "Do you want me to stop?" She'd said it didn't hurt, but if it was making her uncomfortable he didn't want to keep doing it.
She thought on the question for a few moments, gradually relaxing as the intense sensation once again began to subside. "No, you can do that," she decided, certain it wasn't unpleasant even though it was definitely a little overwhelming in its newness.
"Just feels...different." She laughed nervously at a realization, refusing to meet his eyes as her cheeks flushed. "Kind of like...last night. Not entirely, just- Tiny bit."
Mal actually groaned at that, several rather fanciful images darting through his mind. "Gods, Pretty Penny," he muttered, dipping his head to kiss the back of her neck and letting his hand trace a line between her wings again.
"I'm going to get to work on one of those damn potions the second we're inside." He nuzzled into her hair, feathering kisses along the curve of her neck.
Penny shuddered at the sound, pleasantly surprised by it having not expected that admission to get any sort of reaction. She smiled softly to herself, relaxing some and just embracing the sensation she could finally pair with a positive memory. Her wings billowed gently in reaction as his hand traced along her back, a pleasant shiver running through her for the kisses he peppered along her skin.
"As long as you don't get caught...I think I'd like that." She chuckled, smiling with guilt but not really sorry at all. Tilting her head to look at him over one shoulder she pulled her hair forward over the other, petting it absently. "You like knowing how you make me feel, don't you?"
"I love it," Mal told her honestly, nuzzling into her neck. "Keeps me from having to guess if you like something or not. Which is extremely sexy, by the way." He pressed a soft kiss to her skin, then sighed and pulled away a bit.
"We really should be working," he muttered reluctantly, glancing at the abandoned book on his lap.
She blushed brightly for that, understanding what he was saying but certain nobody had ever used that term to describe her before. "I'll try to remember that," she whispered. Sitting up a little straighter once he leaned away she looked down at their books with a soft laugh.
"We're awful at this, aren't we?" She scooped hers up and scooted herself away to put a little distance between them, announcing playfully, "I don't think we work well together, Mal."
"I think you're right," he agreed with a chuckle, shifting a bit himself to get a little more distance between them. "Not that I'm really complaining, mind," he added with a quick wink thrown in her direction.
"Hmm. Maybe we'd be better off if you'd quit distracting me," she teased, turning to a new page in her book to resume her reading for what felt like the millionth time.
Mal huffed and nudged her lightly with his elbow. "You like it," he teased back in a low rumble, propping the book open in his lap and idly flipping a page.
"Mmm." Penny smiled coyly, adjusting her legs a bit to sit more comfortably as she continued on, desperate to let the words on paper capture her attention before he managed to again.
He had to resist the urge to keep needling her, giving a soft huff and just leaning back, eyes focused on his book. He did twist a bit so she could lean against him more comfortably if she wanted.
The young mage hardly noticed his movement, determined as she was to not look at him or touch him again. Not until the day was called to an end, at least. As much as she'd resisted him, though, Penny looked incredibly guilty once she finally heard the familiar voice of her mentor calling to her across the yard to come inside.
With a muttered curse she was waving her hand at her dismissively, desperately wanting to finish the chapter she was on before she put an end to her studies for the day. She had questions, and the only reason she didn't fight to stay out even longer was an eagerness to discover what Kura might tell them.
Mal groaned playfully, nudging Penny's shoulder as he stood. "C'mon, love. Time to head in," he urged, closing his book and stretching his arms over his head.
Penny reached out a hand at the last moment to brace against the ground as the touch rocked her, nearly toppling her over. "Minute." She muttered, trying to shoo him with another wave of her hand.
"You can go on," she murmured, forgetting for a moment that he couldn't exactly leave without her.
Kura watched them from the door for a moment, shaking her head in disappointment as she noted how Penny remained on the ground. Crossing her arms loosely she propped the door open and waited, staring the girl down with a rather heated look until, finally, she snapped her book closed and started gathering the rest of their strewn belongings.
Grumbling something about how no, actually, he couldn't just leave, Mal waited until Penny started to pack up before a playful smirk spread across his face. Scooping her books up in one arm, he bent and wrapped the other around her waist, so when he stood he held her over his shoulder.
The Phoenix jogged over to the door with a broad, innocent grin. "Afternoon, Kura," he said brightly.
Penny yelped as her feet were suddenly lifted out from under her. There was only a moment's struggle before she realized he had a pretty firm grip on her and there was little use in fighting him or demanding to be put down. Grunting for the pressure on her middle for every jostle she thumped a hand to the back of his shoulder -her solitary reprimand- and muttered under her breath about how he would "pay for this" as she clung to him instead.
While she was certainly amused Kura definitely still had her suspicions about the phoenix she'd witnessed walking right out of her student's room, noting their blossoming familiarity with each other. Perhaps that was in her head, but something told her it wasn't the case.
"Afternoon." She chuckled and bowed her head in greeting as she stepped back from the doorway to make room for them. "Keeping her in line, I see," she admired teasingly.
"No, he's not," Penny immediately protested, scowling at the elder mage even though she had nothing else to say in her own defense.
"You hush," Mal told her brightly, giving her a little jostle before bending to let her get her feet back under her and slipping into the house.
"You using the kitchen, Kura?" he asked over his shoulder, trying to keep his tone light and really hoping she wouldn't question him too much.
Kura raised a brow. "No, not until dinner." She trailed off, trying to figure out why he would ask such a thing. Her eyes narrowed to shoot Penny a glare at the conclusion she came to. "I hope she hasn't guilted you into cooking for us. We can handle that." She tsked at the young woman, earning her a rather startled look from her student.
Penny let it go pretty quickly, though, happy to let Mal handle it even as she glowered at his back. She shuffled along, following after him to go back inside once she'd regained her balance. Reaching for the books he carried she thought better of snatching them or trying to pry them out of his grip. Instead she cleared her throat and circled around to put herself in his path with an outstretched hand and a tense, "May I have those back now?"
"Not cook, exactly," Mal said by way of vague explanation, giving Kura a quick smile.
He smirked at Penny, holding the books out for her. "What, are you mad at me?" he laughed, eyes glinting teasingly.
"I see." Kura relaxed a little for hearing that, far more concerned about Penny bullying the phoenix. What he was actually getting up to wasn't even a thought on her mind and she easily just assumed there was something they'd found in their reading that he wanted the space for.
Penny took the books eagerly, resting them on her hip. She turned to go but quickly snapped her eyes up to meet his own at his accusation, glaring playfully. "You stole them," she pointed out dramatically, "and you dragged me across the yard when I wasn't ready to go. So, yes, a little." She turned to cross the main room to take a seat before the fire, beckoning for Kura to join her.
Smirking, Mal dipped just a little to whisper by her ear, "I'll make it up to you. Later." He really hoped she was getting the implication as he winked and slipped into the kitchen.
Alright, maybe he was a bit of a dog, because he knew the exact ingredients for the potion they needed and it didn't take him long to find them. Fortunately, setting water boiling was just about the only "cooking" involved in this particular task.
There were a few things she'd hoped that he meant by that, all of them things she prayed Kura would not assume if she'd heard him. Even with brightly flushed cheeks upon her student the elder mage didn't seem to notice, though, and Penny hurried to sit with her and open the notebook she'd been working in the past few days.
Trying a little harder than was necessary to act natural she was oblivious to the nervous fidgeting of her wings that her teacher could still see, though her view was fading. Kura sat beside her, glancing at her notes and curious what the girl might have been able to discover for herself.
"The book said that nothing can withstand the force of air," Penny murmured thoughtfully as she read over it again. "I wanted to ask what you thought that. Everything would fall eventually, wouldn't it? Since this is air magic could, um, could I use it to push us apart? With the wind? Wouldn't it break eventually?" She gave her a hopeful smile but she could easily see the skepticism in the older mage's eyes.
"I don't know if it would be that simple," she answered honestly. "Air is...very delicate but also very difficult. I'd imagine it would be quite a feat to maintain a hold on that much for that long."
Kura's eyes softened once she sensed a bit of panic in her student's eyes, trying to soothe her with, "For what it's worth I don't think you'll need to force your bond to break. It looks strong, but it is not hopeless." She sighed, feeling a little guilty she'd "raised" Penny's magic to be ill-prepared for such a fate. "I want you to stop thinking about breaking this...thing you are in. We'll focus on honing your power. I think the knowledge you need will come in time with that."
Penny was dissatisfied with that but it was more than she'd been given before. "So you knew?" She blinked at her, frowning and feeling a bit like she'd been running in circles for years. No matter what Kura might guide her towards she was certain she would still keep working towards freeing Mal.
"Well it's hard to miss, Penny. You glow with it," she answered affectionately. "I was hoping you might...discover yourself in your own time, but I can see that this is important to you." Kura crossed her hands on her lap, glancing to the study and then towards Mal's back she could see through the doorway. "It normally isn't good to rush these things, but yes... You have natural gifts, my girl."
The phoenix tried not to listen in on their conversation as he worked, but he couldn't help overhearing a little. He had good ears.
Shaking his head to focus on his task, he started humming that song again, still a little off key and very soft, unconsciously lowering his tone when the two women dropped their voices in an attempt not to drown them out.
Gifts. Okay, she could work with gifts. Maybe. She didn't know how to use them yet or have any idea what they entailed. Honestly she really didn't know why Kura felt so confident in something she'd never been able to use, but she wanted to try. That was all she could do otherwise anyway.
"We don't have to rush exactly," Penny agreed, sighing and feeling a little powerless again knowing so much was out of her control. "But there's no harm in trying, right?"
"I'm hoping so." Kura sighed happily, relaxing some now that she knew it wasn't going to be a massive fight to rein her in and set her straight. "Learn it right the first time and you won't need to relearn or break bad habits later."
Penny frowned at that, nodding in agreement but not liking that it was being brought up. She felt confident she could handle whatever came her way despite Kura's concern. "It's all I do, Kura. Gods help me if I'm not an expert at it by now," she whined, huffing and looking down to look over her notes again. Then came the tentative question, "Did you find out anymore? In the dragon book?"
"Hm? Oh. Well, yes, some." Kura looked towards the kitchen again before leaning in closer to whisper to her student instead, despite the phoenix's humming.
"There was more there about the connection a dragon shares with its rider, though I doubt he would be the same." Kura laughed at that, shaking her head at how silly it sounded. "You can't ride a phoenix." Penny was careful to keep her expression blank at that, worried she might be concerned if she owned up to the way they'd traveled since he'd been summoned.
"Right." Penny giggled nervously. "But...what did it say?"
Kura shrugged. "It runs far deeper than any...agreement or partnership. It becomes something very much alive, very real, almost...tangible. Each sort of...gives a part of themselves to it, to nurture it in a way."
Penny hummed in acknowledgement, shrugging. "Sounds fantastical," she admitted. "A nice story, I guess."
Mal was finishing up in the kitchen, ladling a few doses of the potion into some small jars he'd managed to scrounge up and cleaning the pot he'd used thoroughly.
Poking his head out of the kitchen, he caught the tail end of their conversation. "Anything I should know?"
Kura looked up at the sound of his voice, sitting up straighter and flashing a quick smile. "I was just telling Penny not to ever bond herself to a dragon," she explained, chuckling and gesturing between them as she added, "There is magic like yours and then there is magic that becomes physical. Now that is almost impossible to remove."
Penny rolled her eyes, smiling in apology. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."
"Ah." He smiled a bit and nodded. "Well, she shouldn't need to. I've never heard of a phoenix rider, but I suppose it's not all that different from riding a dragon," he said without thinking, disappearing back into the kitchen."
"Yeah..." Penny flinched at that but fortunately Kura didn't notice.
"Well, I'm sure it's not as simple as that anyway. Might be good for you to meet some dragons someday," her teacher mused.
Penny just nodded, hands touching nervously at the open pages of her notebook. "I also, um... Wanted to know something. About myself." Kura raised a brow at that but chose to be silent and wait for Penny to continue on her own.
"You know what I am, so... I haven't read anything about it yet in your books, but I know my father has lived for a very long time. Do you think- Does that mean I will, too?"
Kura hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head. "I suppose that's plausible. I don't know any others personally but I have read about a few. Generally the children of creatures -excuse me, people- like your father adopt their abilities. I would think that makes you...predisposed to things like that, too. With fairies it seems that their magic sort of...overpowers the other side. The human side," she mused, gesturing at her.
"It hasn't happened with you yet but...I know it is within you, Penelope. I see it quite clearly." She chuckled and tried to encourage her, assuming she was afraid of death before her time,"The Fae people are a strong lot, I would not worry about your end coming anytime soon."
"That's...a relief," she admitted quietly, smiling softly.
That bit Mal heard, and somehow it felt like some sort of weight was lifted from his shoulders. Pausing in cleaning up the kitchen, he let out a sharp breath of relief and rubbed his hand down his face.
Then he shook himself and finished his task, slipping back out into the main room of the cottage. "Anything I can do out here?"
Kura grinned at her student. "Just means plenty of time to perfect your skills with magic." She looked up at the sound of his voice, shrugging and casting a glance towards the window by the door. "There isn't much daylight left, I'm not going to put you to work in the dark."
Penny frowned, nodding in agreement though she personally felt it should go further than that. She looked over at him with a sheepish little smile, hoping he might not have heard the end of their conversation. "You're a guest, Mal," she reminded him, "and guests shouldn't work."
"I feel like I've overstayed my welcome as a guest," Mal pointed out lightly, grinning crookedly. "Let's say I'm...hm." He tilted his head, considering it, then went with, "I'm like your dragon. Your partner."
He smirked a bit and leaned down to ruffle her hair affectionately, slipping one of the jars of potion into her hand as he did, subtly enough that hopefully Kura wouldn't notice. "I don't like being waited on anyway, makes me twitchy."
As much as she liked that particular sign of affection Penny tried to duck away, embarrassed that Kura was right there to witness how it made her blush. It only made it more obvious, though, as she failed to dodge him completely. She froze at the touch of the jar against her hand, though, and quickly curled her fingers around it so she could discretely slip it into her pocket instead.
Thankfully Kura was distracted enough by the beginning of that exchange and had completely missed the passing of the jar between them. "Partner?" She raised a brow, wrinkling her nose at the word and shooting Penny a rather concerned look as if she expected her not to stand for that.
"That works," she agreed, glancing to Kura and noticing her odd look. That only made her blush darken.
"Tomorrow I can give you some things to do," the older mage mused, glancing to the window again. "Not much use for your fire with my magic, but... Maybe you could fix up a couple more things around here." She shrugged, siding with Penny a little more about him still being a bit of a guest in her mind.
Mal gave her his most charming grin and nodded. "I can do that. I'm more than just magic, I've got some other skills," he teased brightly, turning to wrap his knuckles against the chair he'd fixed. "See? Perfectly sturdy."
"You did a fine job with that," Kura admitted, smiling warmly, "which is why I trust you'll do well with the rest, but... Do tell us if we're ever treading upon your kindness a bit too much, hm?" The elder mage stood up and reached out to pat Penny's shoulder before stepping past them to head towards the kitchen.
"Go put those away, I don't want to see you reading any more today," she warned, causing Penny's eyes to go wide as she snapped her head around to start to protest. But she was already gone and Penny's face fell into a scowl instead as she muttered something that sounded like "not fair" as she made to gather the books and stand.
"Not going to get anything done with you both telling me what to do," she mumbled, looking to Mal with a pointed glare.
He just beamed at her innocently. "You heard the woman," he said, eyes sparkling. "Books away, Pretty Penny."
Penny rolled her eyes, though she had to turn her head to try and hide her smile for his use of her pet name again. "I'm going, I'm going," she muttered, hugging them close and carrying them to the study so she could put them away.
"Good girl," Mal called after her, smirking, then turned to make his way down the hall into his temporary lodgings. Which wee feeling less and less temporary the longer he stayed here.
She was quick to set the books down on the desk again, turning to leave once more like an obedient student would. But... Well the others seemed busy. When she realized they weren't paying attention to her when she poked her head back into the hall she was quickly retreating into the study again, shutting the door and, after a moment's thought, bolting it against the pesky insistence she expected would eventually come from Kura to go do something else besides having her nose stuck in a book.
Scurrying back to the desk Penny settled in to continue reading, content that she might only have an hour or two to herself for it before her teacher was calling for dinner.
Not really knowing what to do with himself, Mal puttered about his room for a few minutes before sighing and making his way back out into the main room.
"Penny?" he called absently, almost automatically. "Hey, where-"
His eyes lit on the closed study door and he frowned. Mumbling curses under his breath, he strode forward and wrapped sharply on the door. "Oi. I know you're in there, Penelope."
Her heart dropped at the sound of his voice but she resolved to remain motionless and silent, only her eyes lifting to watch the shadowed door. It was obvious enough by the small metal barrier inhibiting it that the door wouldn't open. Not easily, at least, but she wasn't about to let him in just to have him stop her.
He tried the door. Locked.
With a low growling sound, Mal wrapped sharply on the wood again. "Penny, don't make me get Kura," he threatened, feeling just a little ridiculous for doing so.
At the sound of his knocking and her name Kura poked her head out from the kitchen, frowning at him. "What's all that for?" She noticed where he was, though, and muttered to herself as she put it all together, calling out, "Penelope!"
Penny flinched, feeling rather guilty as she sighed, closed her book, and padded slowly to the door. Unbolting it, she opened it just a crack to glare out at Mal. "I'm busy."
He scowled at her. "Uh-huh." Snapping his foot out so she couldn't shut the door on them, Mal crossed his arm over his chest and jerked his head at her. "Come on, girl. Out. You're done for today."
"I still have time, there's still daylight," she protested, trying to shut the door but easily finding his foot in the way. She grumbled under her breath but she wasn't about to slam him in the door. Still, she kept the door open only as much as she needed to to accommodate it. "Please?"
Mal was getting angry now. "You're acting like a stubborn child," he told her bluntly. Frowning, he beckoned for her to leave the study again. "C'mon. Now."
Penny sharply narrowed her eyes at him for that, putting a bit of pressure on the door. "It wasn't really a question, you know," she pointed out dryly.
His eyes narrowed and without much ceremony Mal wrapped his fingers around her arm and tugged her- gently but firmly- out of the study.
"Kura told you enough was enough," he murmured. "You should listen, Penny. You're going to run yourself ragged."
Penny hissed despite it only smarting a little. "That doesn't happen, I told you," she protested, not really having any ground to stand on for her continued stubbornness. "Her word isn't law."
He growled with frustration. "Why are you being so stubborn about this?" Mal demanded, exasperated.
"Because... Because I am." Penny frowned at that, knowing it wasn't a good reason. Or any reason, really. But... She could see how frustrated she'd made him.
Seeking to placate him a little she lifted a hand, rubbing gently at his upper arm before moving to step around him with a muttered, "Sorry."
Quite without his consent, he found her touch soothed him some. Reining in his temper, Mal sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.
"Don't apologize," he mumbled. He took a step back and added, "I shouldn't have snapped at you. Sorry."
With a quick shake of his head, he turned to leave the room.
She turned to look at him, mouth fixed in a tense line as she studied him. "I know she means well. And you, too. I just don't like being told what to do," she added, shaking her head and dragging herself down the hall before she could change her mind and try to dart for the door.
Restless, she settled herself on the small couch in the main room, watching Kura out of the corner of her eye.
Mal sighed, trailing after her. "If it makes a difference, I don't just get a kick out of telling you what to do," he muttered, hovering behind her. "I'm only doing it because I'm worried about you."
Penny relaxed a little at that, tilting her head back to look up at him instead. "It makes a difference," she whispered, smiling faintly but hoping Kura could not hear them. "Even though there's no reason for you to worry."
He didn't say anything to that, just snorted softly and laid his hand on top of her head for a moment, then smoothed his palm over her hair as he stepped back.
She rolled her eyes at that, not really understanding his seeming fascination with touching her hair. Their interactions always seemed to dissolve down to that eventually, at least.
Penny was content to let him go, though, leaning back to relax on her seat until dinner was called.
Mal needed some space. Well, as much as he could get. He retired to "his" room, collapsing onto the bed and tossing his arm over his eyes with a huffing sort of sigh.
He must have been more tired than he realized, because as he lay there he found himself beginning to drift off. Well, maybe a quick cat nap wouldn't hurt...
It was a monumental effort on Penny's part, but she managed to not return to the study again for the rest of the evening even without Mal there to police her. She eventually got up to busy herself with helping Kura, but the mage sent her away to fetch Mal once everything was ready.
Squinting slightly for the dark she headed down the hall and knocked gently at the door, uncertain if he was sleeping or just resting. "Mal?" she whispered, almost too quietly for the barrier of the door.
The phoenix jerked awake, muttering something incoherent.
"What's- what's wrong?" He stumbled to his feet and made his way to the door, pushing it open to find Penny on the other side. "Oh." He relaxed and yawned. "Sorry. I was really out."
She frowned slightly at the sight of him yawning. "Nothing's wrong, just- If you're hungry, Kura made food." Glancing down the hall where she'd come from, though, she added, "You can rest if you want, I can just tell her you're sleeping."
"No, no, that's alright." Mal flashed her a quick smile, slipping out into the hall. "I'm not that tired, and I am hungry."
Penny rolled her eyes at that but saw no reason to tease him about being tired since she'd just caught him resting. Proof for herself was enough.
"You should probably sleep more at night," she mused coyly, turning to make her way back down the hall towards the delicious smells wafting out from the kitchen.
"Oh?" His eyebrows crept up and he smirked. Darting forward, Mal grabbed her wrists and whirled to pin her against the wall, gently enough that he wouldn't make too much noise and attract Kura's attention.
"Are you sure," he murmured, dropping his head to bring his lips tantalizingly close to her neck.
"Really sure..." He kissed her collar.
"That you want me..." His teeth scraped lightly at her skin, then he lifted his head to hover his lips just over hers.
"To do that?" He leaned forward, almost brushing her lips in a kiss. "I don't think you do."
HE stepped quickly back, shoving his hands in his pockets with a smirk and whistling as he strode off down the hall.
She froze, the brief thought of resisting him or pulling away squelched as she suddenly found herself with her back against the wall and the much taller phoenix practically chest to chest to crowd her in. Penny held her breath against his teasing, trying to will herself to not show weakness, but she wasn't quite able to stifle a small shudder as he stepped away.
Her cheeks burned hotly as she ducked her head and followed after him. She'd certainly bit off more than she could chew by teasing him, but the small thrill it left churning in her belly was worth it.
She shuffled down the hall in silence and hurried right past the table to force her way into helping Kura with the rest, which only earned her an odd look when the mage noticed her student who'd been rather calm only a few moments before was suddenly quite tense.
"So," Kura drawled, trying to put the thought behind her as she directed her attention to Mal instead. "Do me a favor, would you? If you must be helpful...at least tell me what I can do to make you more comfortable while you're here. Anything you need? Anything you're missing? I could probably magick something up... Or take a trip into town tomorrow." She glanced at Penny with a knowing look. "I doubt she'll make it there, so might as well do it myself."
That earned an annoyed huff from the young woman but she didn't argue it. There was plenty she would have been willing to go with him for. In fact, she doubted it would even be a problem and she really could see him being thrilled to have some reason to get her away from the books for a little while. But there was no reason arguing that with Kura.
"Oh." Mal blinked, then smiled softly at the offer. "Actually, maybe another change of clothes? If it's not too much trouble. I'd do it myself, but I've never been good at conjuring," he said with an easy shrug and a lopsided grin.
Kura frowned slightly at that but hummed in acknowledgement. "I don't usually like conjuring things people can make. Seems a bit like cheating, hm? But I'll make an exception for you," she agreed with a wink.
"And I'll do you one better," she added vaguely with an affectionate smile. It really couldn't hurt to give the man a bit of variety while he was staying in her home and all but demanding he be given work at the same time. "Penny can you finish this? Just needs a bit of stirring."
The young mage nodded, glancing between them briefly before waving her off distractedly. "Yeah, I got it. Go do what you need."
That was all the prompting Kura needed, though, and after a bit of tidying up she was off and heading down the hall to the guest room he'd been staying in.
Mal hovered, unsure if he should follow the older mage or not. He settled for shrugging and moving up behind Penny to peer at what she was stirring.
"Smells good," he noted, glancing up and in the direction Kura had gone again. "...what is she doing?"
"Mm- What?" She crinkled her nose in amusement at the idea that he might not have realized on his own. "What you asked for, silly." At least that's what she assumed her mentor was doing, but the student had not caught on to Kura's meaning when she'd left.
The older mage intended on leaving him with a small collection of conjured clothing for him to choose from during his stay. It was a small comfort to offer but a necessary one, she thought. "I'm sure she'll be back soon," Penny added distractedly, eyes fixed upon her task.
"Hm..." Mal laid his hands lightly on her waist and leaned forward a bit to let his chest press against her back. "How soon?" he purred, dipping his head to kiss the back of her neck and letting the touch linger.
Penny paused, tensing a bit for the contact before relaxing again. Hoping Kura wouldn't be hurrying back so soon she allowed herself to relax against him slightly and lean into his warmth.
"A little while," she answered softly, purposefully vague and a smile curling her lips. She resumed her stirring as if they weren't suddenly glued together again. "She's probably deciding on pointless things. Style. Color. If she should give you any buttons and what kinds." Penny giggled slightly at that, careful to keep the sound low as to not draw suspicion from her teacher down the hall.
A rumble built up in his chest and he trailed his lips to the side of her neck. He tilted his head to nuzzle against hers and let his arms slip around her waist to hold her tightly.
"Buttons?" he mused quietly, as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. "Never though buttons or no buttons would be a particularly important decision."
"Mmm. Buttons can be very serious business. Depends on if she likes you and how nice she's feeling today," Penny teased lightly, amused that he'd decided to linger on that particular point. "She could have you dressed like any fine noble, but I don't think that's quite your style. I wouldn't worry about being burdened with buttons."
Subtly, she leaned her head away from his, tilting it to look sideways at the fire while smiling to herself. She raised a hand to settle against his arms, stroking lightly against his forearm with her thumb in a gesture of comfort.
Mal just about purred. His eyes drifted half closed and he kissed her hair lightly, letting his thumbs rub in little circles over her belly.
"By the way, the sooner you take that potion the better," he murmured against her temple. "Takes a few hours to kick in, and it should last three days or so."
"Oh?" The topic of clothing quickly forgotten Penny bowed her head as if that might be enough to hide from him pressed together as they were. Her heartbeat quickly picked up in its tempo and her hand stilled against his arm for a moment before drifting down to let her fingers brush against the small jar still hidden in her pocket.
"It doesn't, um... It won't hurt or anything, will it?" she asked quietly. Truthfully she wasn't even sure what it did exactly, but if Mal thought it was best she was willing to place blind faith in him. "How will I know if it's working?"
He frowned slightly, thinking. "It's never done much to me- I mean, doesn't feel any different than normal for me. But I'm not sure about-"
He'd been going to say "women", then decided to switch tact and go with, "You. It shouldn't hurt, but if you start to feel...odd, tell me." Mal suddenly realized he had never been so worried about the effects of what was supposed to be a relatively simple and safe potion.
Penny hummed contently, tilting her head to press a soft kiss to his jaw. "I'm sure it'll be fine, then, I just didn't want any surprises," she explained, smiling some for the hint of concern she detected.
"I'd tell you," she added, looking down as she dipped her hand into her pocket to retrieve the concoction. Setting down the spoon she'd been stirring with she pulled the plug off after casting a quick, nervous glance down the hall to make sure they would still be afforded privacy.
Raising it to her lips she downed it quickly. Licking her lips slowly she tried to decide if it was unpleasant at all. "It's kind of...bland," she decided with a chuckle. "Sweet aftertaste, though. Um...thanks." Replacing the top on the jar she shoved it back into her pocket, uncertain how she would hide such a thing from Kura but determined not to just leave it out for her to find in the open.
Mal smiled at the little kiss and squeezed her waist. "I'm gonna check on Kura," he murmured, kissing her hair again before he moved back reluctantly. He should take his own dose of the potion while he was at it.
She turned her head slightly to watch him go, absently returning to her task while a small smile played at her lips as she thought fondly on his concern for her.
Kura stood back, fussing her lip and hands on her hips as she studied her handiwork. A small basket of various thread sat at her feet but sprawled across every piece of furniture in Mal's guest room was a collection of clothing even she had to admit was a bit too much to be making with magic. The conjured articles still bore a slight glow, but they were as beautiful and soft as anything man-made.
Mal knocked on the door and poked his head into the room. "Hey, Kura, need any help in here?"
Kura wasn't fazed by Mal's sudden appearance and only glanced to him briefly, making to wave him in as her only acknowledgement of him at first. She continued to stare at the clothing, tapping her foot in thought.
"Mal, I need your opinion," she mused distractedly before glancing to him with a hand outstretched at a particularly unassuming shirt sprawled across the bed. "The blue... It's too dark, isn't it?" She gave a soft huff of irritation, as if she'd gotten the most important thing wrong and ruined the lot.
"Ah..." The phoenix blinked at her, bemused. "I, uh, don't think so," he said slowly, glancing at the clothes. "That is- I've really never been much for this sort of thing, Kura, to be honest with you. As long as my clothes fit that's enough for me," he admitted with a crooked smile.
The mage's lips curled in displeasure at his answer, not quite agreeing with it herself, but her eyes were smiling soon enough and she relaxed realizing it really wasn't much to fuss over if he was content. "I suppose that's the male way, hm?" she jabbed playfully before gesturing at the rest and moving to approach the door.
"If you think these will be enough for now I'll be out of your way, but tell me if something isn't quite right. Conjurings" -she raised a hand to rub her fingers together briefly in gesture- "are easy to fix."
Mal shook his head and smiled at her. "These look perfect. Thanks."
He had the decency to wait until she left to start stripping out of his old clothes, choosing a short and breeches at random and pulling them on. It was definitely nice to be wearing something he knew was clean.
He slipped back out into the hall a few minutes later and made his way back to the kitchen.
Kura was content to leave him in peace, satisfied that he was grateful at least despite her suspicions about the phoenix. Returning to Penny, she took over the last of their preparations and was none the wiser to what had happened in her absence.
Relieved of her post Penny went to sit, trying to seem as natural and normal as possible in front of her mentor. It was an odd feeling to keep something from Kura even if it was for both their sakes. From her post she watched for Mal, but as soon as she caught sight of him in the hall Penny was quickly looking away.
Mal smirked when Penny's eyes lit ok him and then quickly flickered away. He sidled toward her and trailed a hand teasingly up her spine.
"Something the matter, Pretty Penny?" he teased.
Penny shivered slightly at his touch, frowning some as she first cast a worried look in Kura's direction, but it seemed her teacher was at least giving them a small bit of privacy in ignoring them despite their proximity. She then looked to Mal, shaking her head and smiling some as she tried not to laugh.
"You don't have to keep calling me that, you know," she teased in a hushed voice, taking a moment to survey him in his new clothes. She clicked her tongue in teasing disapproval, still thinking Kura cheated a bit in using magic for something so simple.
"These are nice," she commented feigning distractedness to try and change the subject as she reached out to gently rub the fabric between her fingers. "Probably better than we could have bought around here. Are they comfortable?"
Mal mock pouted at her. "I like calling you that," he purred quietly, casting a quick glance in Kura's direction before leaning in to press a quick kiss to her cheek.
Glancing down as she touched his shirt, he leaned back a bit with an easy smile. "Oh yeah, quite comfortable. Don't think I've ever had clothes this fine, magical or not."
She smiled knowingly, shaking her head and dropping her eyes to stare at it. "She's trying to spoil you," she whispered, knowing full well the older mage could still hear her across the kitchen.
"You promised her some of your feathers, didn't you?" Penny teased lightly, playfully giving him a few light pokes along his hip before remembering herself and dropping her hand away again.
Mal laughed and pinched her side lightly in retaliation. "I did no such thing," he protested, mock offended. "Besides," he continued primly, "I don't think Madam Kura would be swayed by such a bribe."
Kura couldn't help but chuckle quietly at that, shaking her head in amusement. Penny was certain Kura wasn't so easy either, nodding in agreement. "You're probably right about that," she giggled, shrugging in defeat but winking slyly as she added, "Would take a lot more than that."
"That's enough, Penny. Stop provoking our guest," Kura chastised lightly, smirking at them over her shoulder briefly.
Penny raised a brow at that, genuinely surprised. "Oh he's our guest now? Not just mine?" She smiled at that, not at all jealous as it meant Kura had truly taken a shine to him. Kura merely shrugged, not wanting to answer one way or another but the young mage was certain she already knew the real answer.
Pushing his luck a bit, Mal put a hand over his heart and gave Kura his most charming grin. "Aw, I'm touched, ma'am. Truly."
He smirked, then sobered slightly and looked between Penny and her mentor. "Anything else I can do to help out here?"
Kura couldn't help but laugh, amused by Mal and not irritated by him at all. "Take a break, dear. You've been studying with Penny all day, haven't you?" She raised her brow at that before returning to her cooking.
Penny sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, fighting a smile and losing the battle rather quickly. She reached up, gently grasping Mal's forearm and tugging lightly to try to urge him to take a seat. "You should stop asking before you start giving her ideas," she whispered in warning, rolling her eyes playfully.
"Very well, if you both insist," Mal exclaimed, dramatically throwing his arms into the air before plopping into a seat.
Eyes glinting wickedly, he glanced over to make sure Kura wasn't watching, then let his arm drop to grab a quick handful of Penny's rear, winking at her playfully as he settled back with an innocent whistle and folded is hands in his lap.
While Kura was none the wiser Penny jumped at the sudden contact, eyes going wide first in surprise before narrowing in playful, silent chastisement. She reached out to flick him lightly on the back of his hand as a simple means of letting him know she wouldn't let him get away with it so easily, thrilling as it was. She'd be sure to give him a piece of her mind once they had a bit more privacy.
"I hope you have a healthy appetite," Penny chirped, leaning forward to set her chin atop steepled hands as though nothing had happened at all.
"He's a man," Kura deadpanned, rolling her eyes and feeling that should have been obvious a she turned to dish out their dinner. Penny could only laugh, hiding a smile against her hands briefly before bowing her head in thanks.
"A phoenix," Penny corrected gently, "but I think the same can be said."
Kura harrumphed, not really seeing how the difference mattered, but she let the issue go and she settled at her own place at the table. "Enjoy, my chicks," she teased, waiting until Penny had at least tried a taste before tucking into her own meal.
Mal smirked, interpreting Penny's look for what it was and honestly quite happy to let her exact whatever revenge she had in mind, once they got the chance.
He chuckled at the two women as they settled themselves at the table. "Oi, I'm sitting right here," he protested mildly, nudging Penny's toe with his under the table. Tucking into his own meal, he added, completely unabashed, "But I think being a man and a phoenix is the real problem here. You know how much food or takes to satisfy a bird the size of a house?"
"I don't know, Mal," Penny drawled, pushing her food around distractedly but not eating any more, "So far I feel like you've only had human-sized portions. I think you're just talking up your appetite. That's not very polite with the cooks at the table." She smiled faintly, seemingly unable to stop from teasing him.
Kura just rolled her eyes, though her gaze lingered on the girl, privately quite surprised by her. Something had obviously changed. "If I'm expected to feed a bird that large please give me a day's warning, hm? Need all the pots cleaned and a stocked kitchen," she teased.
Mal laughed, leaning back in his chair and smirking at them both. "You wound me, fair ladies," he protested, clutching at his heart. "Here I am just trying to be a good guest, and you just keep mocking me for it."
He pouted, but his gaze was mostly directed at Penny, eyes smoldering. He really couldn't seem to help himself, even with Kura just across the table.
Penny laughed behind her smile, wrinkling her nose at him and honestly forgetting Kura was there for a moment. "At least we care enough to mock you," she teased lightly, though her attention was drawn away from him when Kura cleared her throat to grab her attention, the older mage's brow raised questioningly.
She flushed, realizing she'd forgotten their audience for a moment, and flashed Mal a sheepish smile before turning her attention back to her food. Kura, blessedly, didn't push her with food between them and Mal still present. That conversation was for another time.
The phoenix started slightly, having rather forgot tent heir audience as well. He dropped his eyes and tucked into his food, hopping he didn't look at sheepish as he felt.
"Delicious, as always," he mumbled around a bite, trying to steer the conversation to safer waters.
With a compliment in the air Kura's eyes quickly settled on Mal instead, a genuine smile lighting her up. "Thank you, that's very kind of you. I apologize for the awful manners at the table today." Penny winced at that, though staring pleadingly at her mentor did nothing to grab her attention back.
He laughed and shook his head. "No, don't apologize. I think I'm making up most of the terrible manners." His eyes flicked to Penny's pleading expression and he repressed a chuckle. Gods, she was adorable- he almost could have sworn she did that on purpose.
Kura was surprised at that, eyes widening as she blinked at him. She finally met Penny's eyes, raising an accusatorial brow for the phoenix taking the blame for something she felt was obviously and quite clearly her apprentice's blunder.
"I just think she's already forgotten her responsibility to you," she said with a shrug. "Forgive me, but I don't like to see her treating you as a friend when it is her fault you're here at all. You're welcome as our guest, of course, very welcome, but I'd like to see a bit more focus from Penny. This is just what she needs to" -she lifted her free hand to tap at her temple- "get things into place."
Penny hung her head slightly, not liking Kura's opinion of her. More than anything she wanted to fix things for Mal, but she didn't want to argue with her at the table. It was true she saw him as much more than just a strange man she'd summoned, but with the way Kura was looking at her she didn't think she would get very far trying to talk to her about it. "Sorry," she mumbled, hoping it would be enough to placate her.
Mal frowned, looking between the two women. "Well, that's not entirely fair," he murmured. "I know it was Penny's mistake that summoned me, but I don't see why that means we can't be friendly."
He looked to the girl, then back to her mentor. "I'd like to think we're friends, to be honest." Well, maybe a little more than that, all things considered- though of course there was no need to mention any of that to Kura.
"Oh... I see," Kura mused, quickly falling silent out of contemplation instead of any sense of shame.
Penny flashed a small smile of thanks his way, happy he was willing to at least tell her mentor so. She wondered why it seemed to bother her at all. It had seemed she was helping them along: allowing them privacy, giving Mal the flower, reading for their research, even using her own magic for Mal's benefit...and then suddenly she seemed bothered by the mere notion of them being close enough to be friends? It seemed far too odd for her to think it was just that, but she worried what the problem was.
Had she learned something about him to suddenly become that way? Or her? Penny wasn't sure, but she didn't think anything had changed for the worst. She tried to give her best smile of sincerity, her eyes softening as she looked between them as she offered, "If he didn't want to be friends I'd give him space, but I'd like to think we have a nice thing going."
She shook her head then and gestured at the hall. "I'm very focused on my responsibility to him and he knows that. Has to drag me away from the books a lot," she reminded her, finally earning a small nod of acknowledgement from her teacher.
"I suppose that's true," Kura admitted, smiling kindly. "And it's nice, I think, for you both to be on good terms with the other. I just hope you don't let your...friendship get in the way of your real goals. Life is too short to be locked in our home forever."
Penny tried to look serious, smiling in acknowledgement of what had been said, but knowing they probably had quite a long time if they needed it. "I'm doing my best," she promised before turning her attention to her food, though she picked at it more than ate.
Oh.
He wasn't quite sure, but Mal thought he was sort of beginning to understand Kura's concerns. Inasmuch as they were similar to Adrian's, at any rate.
"Right. Well." He shrugged and flashed that trademark crooked smile. "She's working hard, I'm sure we'll figure out a way to fix this mess." With a shrug, he added, "And if we really need to get out, we'll just have to make sure we stick close together. It's not as thought she's very heavy, I could fly the girl halfway across the continent if I needed to."
Kura relaxed some at hearing that, though she did roll her eyes at the idea. "As long as you don't let her limit you," she conceded before adding teasingly, "Half isn't whole anyway."
"Oh please," Penny sighed, casting Mal a questioning look, almost uncertain if he even understood that he wasn't stuck there despite what he'd said. Though, she had to admit to herself she was quite cozy in her home away from home. "I would study this anywhere in the world if you needed to be somewhere. All I need is to know and I'd do my best to help you, get you what you need or get you where you need, you know?"
She cast a look to her mentor as well, desperately trying to affirm her seriousness with her. Luckily it seemed to finally work as Kura nodded in acknowledgement at least, a small, private smile there as she looked between them. "If it's for the best. Don't let him bully you on a whim," she warned playfully.
"I would never," Mal protested laughingly, hands raised peaceably.
Settling back in his chair he added with a shrug, "I don't really need to be anywhere though. I was only traveling before because...well, I could." He shot Penny a small smile. "Seems silly to waste such a long life in one place, you know?"
Kura shrugged but smiled understandingly. "I can see the appeal," she agreed.
Penny shrugged, uncertain how she felt about it but knowing she didn't want to be the reason for Mal limiting himself at all. "Well if you ever get restless," she corrected with a smile. "Don't be afraid to tell me. May not be my thing, but still live your life how you want to."
She remained a few moments longer but finally stood to clear her place at the table and start cleaning up to keep herself busy and occupied.
"Mmm." The phoenix gave a noncommittal sort of sound as he watched Penny start to clear the table. His mind was suddenly wandering.
If- when- they got this bond between them sorted out, what would he do? He liked the girl. A lot. And she seemed to like him. But he was a traveler by nature, and Penny seemed content to stay with Kura, with her books and her mentor and her family nearby. He didn't want to ask her to leave that, not for a man she'd only known a week or so.
But...he sort of did. He'd grown very attached to her in a short time.
Perhaps he could visit? But that didn't seem like it would be quite enough...
Once her back was to them Penny allowed herself to relax, her features falling into a frown as she concentrated on what was right in front of her even though she was almost painfully aware of Mal being so close. Too absorbed in it all she was oblivious to his silent struggle, though.
Kura watched him closely, guessing he was thinking and curious about it even though she didn't voice it. She was actually a little surprised when Penny reappeared at the side of the table, reaching to take dishes from her mentor since she'd set everything down. "Thank you, dear," she offered with a warm smile, glancing to her in time to see her rather somber expression. She clicked her tongue at that, thinking she might have been too hard on her for once.
"Are you all right, Penny?" she called out, watching as she seemed to ignore her and continue on with her cleaning.
Clearing her throat she tried again once Penny returned to try to take Mal's things. "Penny?" she said more sternly. Penny startled at that, lifting her head sharply with a gasp, eyes snapping into focus when she finally realized she'd been talking to her. Kura relaxed a little, though her eyes narrowed with concern.
"Yeah... Yeah I'm good." She smiled warmly, not even realizing what she'd been doing, how long she'd ignored the question.
"Hm. Are you all right to be doing that?"
"What? Of course!" Penny laughed softly, shaking her head as she gently snatched the remaining dishes on the table from Mal. "Not an old lady yet," she teased, smirking at her mentor for the displeased huff it earned her.
"Oh, hey, I can help with that," Mal protested, snapping back to the present as Penny reached for his dishes. He got to his feet, waving her hands away and taking the plates from her. "Here, don't do everything yourself. Just tell me where to put things, I can do it."
He offered a small smile, looking at her with a bit of concern. She did seem rather out of it.
"What? N-no!" Penny protested, eyes going wide as she tried to keep him from taking them, but he was far too fast and in a blink her hands were empty. She raised a brow at him despite his smile and held her hands out expectantly anyway.
"I didn't ask for help," she pointed out kindly, glancing to the pile of already-cleaned dishes. "Let me finish them. If you're going to be stubborn about helping maybe put those away instead?" She gestured at them with a small wave and then to the cupboard they called home. "They go there."
"I know you didn't ask," he murmured, though he relented and handed the plates over as he moved to start putting the clean dishes away. "I wanted to help you, Pretty Penny." He shot her a grin and a quick wink.
"Well... Um, thanks." Her features softened at that, hesitating for a moment before she moved forward to resume her work. Her scalp prickled, sensing Kura's eyes upon her. It was enough to set her into motion, returning to the rhythm of cleaning. Once she was done with the last of it she held them out to Mal with a small smile but not entirely in an expectant way.
Mal fell easily into the familiar rhythm of household chores, finding it strangely soothing to be doing something as mundane as helping put away dishes.
He took the last of them from Penny with a smile and stored them away. "There, see? Not so painful to let someone help once in a while," he teased, ruffling her hair.
She tried to duck his hand but wasn't quite fast enough so went ahead and let it get mussed. "Who ever said it was painful?" Penny sighed, rolling her eyes playfully and giving his shoulder a gentle shove.
"I think you help plenty, don't have to help with everything," she pointed out, though she smiled in thanks before heading for the hall. "Thanks for dinner. I'm going to read for a bit," she mumbled, hoping she might be able to slip away without a fuss from either of them if she was quick enough.
Mal gave her a stern look as he trailed after her. "How long is a bit?" he asked, voice dangerously close to a growl.
"Hm?" Penny turned to look at him innocently, eyes wide to feign surprise at the question though she didn't stop walking. She should have known he wouldn't let her go so easily. "Just an hour maybe. Since a certain someone wouldn't let me before dinner," she reminded him gently, never mind that she'd spent practically the entire day reading already.
He groaned dramatically and buried his face in his hands. "You know what? Fine. Fine, do as you like. I have a feeling I'm just not going to win this one."
With a huff and a smile for Kura, he waved to them both and headed toward his room. "I'l keep looking through that book from earlier I guess."
She watched him with a small sense of guilt but not enough to stop her. "Make sure you take notes!" she called after him, relieved as she followed down the hall enough to return to the study and left a silently staring Kura in her wake. This time Penny made no effort to lock its door, though, knowing it would just be asking for trouble later when her time was up.
For the moment, though, Penny settled herself at the desk, cracked open her book, and lit a candle to save her eyes from the dim light.
Mal settled himself on his borrowed bed with a sigh and propped the book open in his lap, conjuring a flame in his free hand so he had light to read by as he idly flipped through pages with the othe. He wasn't payin much attention to time, though his ears were trained toward his cracked open door, waiting now for Penny to head to bed herself.
An hour passed quickly but it was only when a second was nearly finished that Kura made her way down the hall. Noticing the dim, flickering light she pushed into the room with an exasperated frown fixed on her face.
"You really shouldn't lie," the older mage mumbled, startling Penny enough for her to drop her book entirely. Her eyes flashed with guilt, knowing there were several things she'd lied about lately either directly or through omission. She didn't even want to begin guessing at what Kura wanted.
"Lie?" she prompted with a nervous smile, hurrying to stand with the candle in-hand and the book forgotten and left open on the table.
"Mm. You promised an hour." Oh, that was all.
"Has it already come?" she asked, doing her best to feign surprise. It hadn't been consciously done but she realized just by the moonlight peaking through the window that she'd lost track of time.
"Yes. You need your rest," her mentor pointed out, gesturing for her to follow out of the cramped study. Having no desire to earn her wrath Penny obliged her without fuss. "Have you learned anything?"
"Hm? Well, I need to get better at telling the time at night. I just lose myself," she apologized sheepishly.
"Not that," Kura groaned, rolling her eyes as she cast a questioning look at her over her shoulder. She didn't think the girl was usually so dull. "Your reading. Your magic? Have you made any headway?"
Oh. "No ma'am," Penny slumped, setting her hand to her door but pausing there to watch Kura head along further down to her own quarters. "I can't get much done in an hour," she added.
"Hmph. It only takes a moment once you've found it," Kura reminded her, though she was too tired to spend much more energy debating that with her student and bid her a quick, yawning, "Goodnight dear, sleep well. Work hard tomorrow."
"I will. Sleep well," she called in a whisper, casting a quick, curious glance to Mal's cracked door even though from where she was standing she couldn't see anything but darkness beyond it. She remained in the hall a few moments, tapping her foot quietly before coming to a decision and turning to disappear to her own room.
Mal heard Kura's and Penny's voices, though he decided not to get up and investigate when he heard them approaching their own rooms.
Well, it wasn't an hour, but at least she was getting to bed. He waited until he heard Kura move away, then slowly got to his feet and moved toward his own door. He sort of wanted to check on her, but if she was finally going to get some rest he didn't want to disturb that.
With a small sigh, he returned to his own bed.
Penny worked with a purposeful slowness as she prepared for bed, dressing into a more comfortable nightgown and taking her time arranging the blankets on her bed. She kept an ear out for Mal, wondering if he might join her or if he'd expected her to go to him, but then another thought crossed her mind that made her crawl into bed instead. Perhaps he'd already fallen asleep.
She lay awake, though, pathetically curled up on her side and staring at the door through the darkness as if she expected it to give her all the answers. Or just produce Mal for her.
With a conflicted sigh she rolled over to stare at the shadowed ceiling instead. It felt so odd so suddenly realize that...she missed him. Sure part of it was the short-term separation, that they weren't even in the same room. But another part was definitely the emotional side of their bond that wasn't part of the magic.
That and the things he'd teased her with that didn't seem likely to happen the longer she laid awake. But he was entitled to his sleep, too, so Penny tried to relax and forget about it all.
Perhaps the bond between them was growing stronger, or maybe it was just his imagination, but Mal could have sworn he felt the girl's restlessness.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered after a few minutes of tossing and turning and got to his feet with a huff. He padded as quietly as he could to his door, then out into the hall.
If Penny was asleep, he didn't want to wake her. He'd just check, that was all. Just check. He pushed her door open a crack and peered inside, trying to ignore how much he felt like a peeping tom.
She couldn't forget. Just laying there trying not to think about it only made it happen more. Suddenly, though, a wave of calm struck her. She realized why a few moments later when she heard the door, subtle as it was.
Penny sat up quickly, holding her breath for a moment as she stared at it through the dark and just praying she wasn't going crazy. "Mal?" she called in a soft whisper, almost regretting it immediately for how hopeful she sounded. How damning would that have been if it had been Kura instead?
A sharp breath left him and he slipped into the room, closing the door behind him. "Hey." He moved to perch on the edge of her bed, smiling crookedly.
"Couldn't sleep. I thought, maybe...you were having the same problem?" He reached out to stroke her hair as he talked, marveling at the shade and the way she almost seemed to glow in the dim light. He could still see her wings, the markings on her face. "Gods you're beautiful," he murmured without thinking.
"Hi." She released her breath in a shaky sigh once he finally joined her, a bright, happy smile there even in the darkness as she studied him and listened to what he had to say.
"Yeah... I couldn't sleep," she admitted sheepishly, not really knowing how to express her relief for his presence. Quietly scooting closer she took his own touching as an invitation and set her hand to his leg, her thumb brushing lightly over his knee.
Oblivious that the flower was still working for him her eyes widened briefly in surprise for his compliment before she made a half-hearted attempt to duck his hand with a nervous laugh. "Well I'd hope so, seeing as we're kind of stuck together right now," she sneered playfully. "But thank you. I hope you didn't come in just to say that, though," she teased, even though she was inordinately pleased he thought enough after her to say it at all.
"I blame you," she added lightly, giving his thigh a quick squeeze . "I never had trouble like this before you. Life was simple."
"Oh that's me. Trouble all over," Mal chuckled, leaning into her as she squeezed his leg. He let his hand brush down from her hair to grasp her shoulder lightly, pulling her to his chest.
He placed a delicate kiss just below her ear before nuzzling against her cheek with a low, soft crooning sound. "Well, if you don't want my compliments," he purred, "what do you hope I came here for?"
Penny leaned into him, bringing her arms up to hug him warmly though probably a little too eagerly. It just felt too nice to resist with him right there. She smiled with guilt at his question, closing her eyes and pressing closer to bury her face in his hair with a soft giggle, arms tightening around him in a firmer hug. "I like them, too," she promised in a low whisper at his ear.
"But- Maybe something more...close. You couldn't seem to keep your hands off me today," she pointed out even as she allowed a hand to roam down along his back, an action she justified by the relative privacy they had.
A low, playful growl rumbled in his throat and he tilted his head to scatter a few airy kisses along her neck and collar.
"I really couldn't," he agreed with a rather hoarse chuckle. "You've got no idea what you do to me, do you?" His hands smoothed down from her shoulders to pass lightly over her curves and come to rest at her hips, all but pulling her into his lap.
She hummed happily and nuzzled into his hair, glad she hadn't been wrong. Sometimes he didn't leave much to imagination, but she wouldn't make a liar of herself saying she didn't like that side of him.
"I think I'm starting to get ideas about that," Penny whispered, smiling knowingly as she moved closer to settle herself on his lap, a knee resting on either side of him. He was still irresistible despite them being more or less attached at the hip for the better part of the day, but more than that he had an undeniable calming effect on her with his presence alone. In comparison everything else seemed...unimportant.
"Gods help me," the phoenix laughed quietly, burying his face in her hair with a happy little hum. His hands traced up and down her back, plucking gently at the material of her nightdress- not insistent, more curious.
Penny sighed happily, peppering kisses along his temple and just enjoying the closeness and warmth. "I think you're beyond their help," she teased lightly, nibbling gently at his ear.
"Well aren't we feeling smug," Mal chuckled, a little surprised but certainly pleased by her boldness.
With a playful growl, he pressed against her to urge her onto her back. He arched over her and dipped to trail kisses over her neck and shoulder, humming against her skin.
Penny didn't resist him, laughing softly as she laid back to settle herself against the pillows. Her skin raced with goose flesh wherever he touched, body shaking in small shivers of delight.
"You look like you're hunting," she whispered, eyes twinkling in amusement as she reached for him, greedily sinking her hands into his hair to play with the softer locks at the nape of his neck.
Mal nearly groaned just for the ease with which she accepted his affections. "I am," he growled against her throat before dipping to trail kisses over her collar.
He reached up to guide her hand more firmly toward the nape of his neck and whispered, "There. I'm...sensitive there." With a small smirk, he admitted, "Birds can't really reach the back of their neck. We need others to help us preen there. Friends. Lovers. People we trust."
She followed his guidance easily enough, surprised he would say that but pleased he would put his trust in her even if it was a small gesture.
"So you trust me to preen you," she mused quietly, smiling suspiciously as she did just that, carefully brushing her fingertips to pet along his neck and tease gently at his hairline before smoothing it out to start again.
"If I didn't know any better I'd say that's just an excuse to get scratches," Penny teased, doing just that with a few gentle rakes of her nails before rubbing over his skin to soothe. Her expression softened as she leaned to press a kiss to his cheek.
The soft scratch of her nails against sensitive skin drew a shivery sort of mewling sound from him that immediately had Mal blushing and sort of twisting his head away from her hand, embarrassed.
"I probably shouldn't have told you that," he muttered wryly, cheeks flushed. It wasn't as though it had hurt- quite the opposite in fact, but he rather liked that she seemed to have an impression of him as confident and at in ease in this area, and if she kept pulling sounds like that from him he wasn't sure how long that would last.
She'd thought the sound was kind of cute and endearing but her face fell immediately once he shied away. Penny moved her hands away, misunderstanding his reasoning for ending it so abruptly. "Sorry. I won't tell anyone," she promised, trying to smile as normally as possible. She reached to rub along his back and shoulder instead, though it was more to ground herself than to soothe him.
Quickly realizing how that must have sounded to her, Mal tried to backpedal. "No, it's- I mean, yeah, it'd probably be better if you didn't share that, but I just meant-"
He huffed out a breath and dropped his head onto her chest with a soft, self-deprecating chuckle. "Gods, I swear I'm usually good at this," he laughed wryly. "Pretty Penny, you tie me up in knots." He kissed her breastbone lightly, then nuzzled into her neck.
Penny relaxed for all his fumbling, chuckling softly under her breath and giving him a few understanding pats on the shoulder before reaching to gather him up in a warm hug. "I won't abuse it, if that's what you're worried about," she whispered, thinking that guess was as good as any of her others.
"But could be nice sometimes, right? Sounded like you liked it," she pointed out. Biting her lip some as she tilted her head away to the side, suddenly feeling a little awkward not really knowing what boundaries they were supposed to have. "Unless that's too...personal."
"Oh, I liked it. I liked it a lot," Mal assured her quickly. Her lifted his head to give her a lopsided smirk and admitted wryly, "But it's awful hard for me to be this suave man wooing you when you can get me to sound like a two week old kitten, ya know? Hurts a guy's ego."
For a moment her eyes widened in genuine surprise, cheeks flushing as she reached out to him again. She was determined to at least let her fingers tease through his hair, silently admiring it. "But why? We both know that's what you really are deep down," she teased with an affectionate grin before adding with mock hurt, "I thought we were past keeping secrets like that, Mal."
His eyes flares at her, burning gold. "Oh, Pretty Penny," Mal purred, holding himself over her and letting his eyes roam over her like he really was hunting and had every intention of making her his prey. "You are playing a dangerous game, sweetheart."
He dipped to kiss her, raw and fierce and fiery, his hands clutching at her waist to pull her right against his body.
She stared up at him without fear, just admiring the rather hungry look in his eyes. She might have regretted teasing him so terribly if he seemed truly hurt but it was clear even to her that he wasn't put off by it at all. In fact it only seemed to encourage him.
Penny let him tug her close, her own hands slipping to cling to his shoulders as she squirmed slightly in his grasp, testing his hold on her. For a moment she thought she might have been smarter to truly resist him, but it was impossible to hide that she liked his attention and it would do nothing but delay the inevitable.
Her breath came in soft puffs, just trying to keep from being too distracted. "What game do you think I'm playing?" she challenged quietly through a smile once she was able to catch her breath.
The phoenix growl, tilting his head to pepper kisses along the curve of her throat. "Don't bait a hunter, love," he warned playfully. One hand slid down her leg to play with the hem of her nightgown, eyes watching her face, ready to back off if she showed any sign of discomfort.
Penny hummed happily for the rain of kisses, exposing her neck to him to accept them even if it did seem more than a little dangerous.
"Hmm. Even if I'm prepared for the consequences?" she asked softly, eyes flickering to watch his hand with an impish smile as she raised her leg slightly to meet his touch.
A grin flashed across his face at that and he nipped at te curve of her neck. "Very well, on your own head be it," he teased, slipping his hand under the fabric of the nightdress to touch bare skin and suppressing a low groan as his touch glided up her thigh to her hip.
A happy sigh escaped her, eyes half closing. Looking to the door past him her attention lingered for a few moments and she held her breath, just waiting for them to be caught. Nothing happened and the hall beyond was silent. Only then did Penny relax, settling a hand to pet lightly at his hair and her hips rolling gently into his touch.
Mal smiled at her and stroked her cheek lightly. He leaned back to rid himself of his shirt, then let his hands move to the hem of her nightdress again and slowly started to push it up her legs to her hips.
"I'm gonna need a little help here," he murmured playfully.
A little thrill twisted in her stomach at the reminder. It wasn't so much that she hadn't expected it as she couldn't believe they were in that place again. Nodding quickly Penny's cheeks flushed bright at the realization of what she was doing.
Reaching out she grabbed onto the hem of the light fabric with him. Carefully pulling it up over her hips she arched off the bed a bit to help herself along. A soft gasp escaped her at the kiss of air upon her skin, the sensation still unfamiliar though entirely welcome.
After a bit of squirming awkwardness around her shoulders she managed to pull the garment off entirely, the slight ruffling of her sensitive wings causing an unconscious shiver as she settled back against the bed again. Once it calmed she turned a soft smile Mal's way, her eyes twinkling curiously as she studied what she could see of him in the dark. "Better?"
His eyes glinted at her through the dimness, roving over her form almost hungrily. "Much," he purred, leaning in to trail kisses from her collar to the cleft of her breasts. His hands smoothed up her hips, one slipping around to her back until his fingers brushed her wings, curious if he could get the same reaction from her that he'd gotten before.
Relaxing back under his affections Penny wasn't quite aware of what he was doing until it was already done. A sharp knot twisted in her stomach, fluttering and heat coursing through her like she'd suddenly found her nerves and couldn't rid herself of them. Yet, it still didn't hurt. Nothing did.
She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering herself against the odd tugging sensation along her back that she could only assume was caused by her wings again. It left her feeling even more drawn to him, though, the fire in her belly settling into a slow, pleasant burn and the thin appendage twitching slightly under his hand in reaction.
A soft, knowing smile reached her lips as she finally opened her eyes to look at him, back arching towards him slightly to allow her wings to stretch out a bit beneath her. "Not fair that you can do that," she scolded lightly, tilting her head to brush a gentle kiss to his forehead.
She lifted a hand to brush fingertips lightly against the nape of his neck again, careful to keep from any scratching this time. "Yet this is too much, hm?"
Mal gave a soft, smug croon that turned into a groan under the attention of her fingers to the nape of his neck.
"Not...too much," he admitted reluctantly. "Not if we're alone. But if you keep doing this- I'm probably gonna wake Kura." He flushed a bit and gave her a rather sheepish smile as he leaned in to kiss her neck and let his fingers dance from the base of one wing to the other.
"You better not," she warned gently, reluctantly moving her hand away after a few more feather light strokes. She wasn't really willing to chance that, but Mal was enough of a distraction on his own anyway, a happy sigh escaping her as her wings shivered sensitively for his touch.
"Still not fair. Feels so nice," she admitted quietly, biting at her lip to fight the urge of some rather unladylike noises even as she exposed her throat to him.
Her eyes narrowed in concentration, the dim moonlight spilling into the room not any help. Every brush of his fingers felt more real than the last, like he wasn't touching some phantom piece of her anymore but something almost tangible as her wings fluttered along her back.
Penny huffed softly in frustration but it was impossible to ignore what he inspired in her. A soft whine escaped her while she clutched at the bed beneath, her thighs suddenly forced together to try to hide the way she trembled and squirmed. It was just like before, his touch stoking the fire within her in a way she wasn't yet familiar with.
He smirked.
"Pretty Penny," Mal cooed, nuzzling into the curve of her shoulder. One hand still stroked gently along the edges of her wings while the other slid slowly down hers side to the curve of her hip, then traced gently up and down her thigh, moving closer and closer toward the inside of her leg.
"Getting frustrated?" he teased smugly with a light nip to the edge of her ear.
Penny flushed darkly for his bluntness but she couldn't lie. After a moment she nodded, humming in acknowledgement as she shivered for the light feel of teeth upon her.
"Your fault," she complained lightly, lifting her leg slightly to press her thigh against his hand.
"Your hands are like...lightning," she offered innocently, not really knowing a "proper" way of describing the sensation. "But I like it," she hurried to assure him.
Another chuckle. "That's called desire, sweetling." Her kissed her bottom lip softly and let his thumb swirl over the skin of her inner thigh. "It not just my hands- it's you. How you react to certain touches."
His fingers crept closer to her core and he breathed against her lips, "So tell me what you like. What do you want?"
"Oh." She felt a bit silly not realizing it on her own, that such a magical feeling was actually real and something between them, but it seemed like he was enjoying spelling it out to her anyway.
"I like...everything with you," she admitted, brushing their lips in the lightest kiss but not feeling quite confident enough in herself at the moment to take much more from him. She did take care to release some of her tension, though, relaxing her legs and reaching out to hug him close.
"I want it all again. Everything from last night. If that's...okay with you." Penny didn't want to be greedy. She met his eyes with genuine concern and care, hoping she wasn't overstepping any boundaries. "Maybe more, if you could teach me."
"Oh, Penny." Mal groaned and closed his eyes. "Gods, you'll be the death of me, girl."
He kissed her, long and deep, and let his hand move to cup her gently, fingers seeking her heat.
She still wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but it definitely meant good things for her.
Closing her eyes Penny settled into the kiss, humming happily against his lips and gasping at his touch, gentle as it was. She felt a bit shy opening her legs more to him, the entire action still being so new to her, but if their last night was any indication she was eager for what he was offering.
Mal kissed her deeper, then suddenly pulled away with a quiet breath that may have been a gasp- though he would deny it.
"Close your eyes," he urged, and started kissing his way down her body, between the cleft of her breast to her stomach.
"They already are!" She laughed a bit at that but squeezed them shut even tighter to playfully humor him whether he was watching or not.
Penny easily relaxed for his kisses, though, happy little sighs escaping her for the warm brush of lips along her skin. Releasing him from the hug she settled a hand in his hair instead, idly petting at the soft locks.
The phoenix gave a soft, contented croon for the stroke of her fingers and quipped back lightly, "Keep them closed then."
He kissed her navel, then just below, eyes flicking up occasionally to watch her face as the touch of his fingers became bolder. Slowly, he slid his kisses down until he could run his tongue over the most sensitive parts of her.
Penny obediently kept her eyes closed but as his touch became bolder and kisses went lower along her belly she couldn't help the furrowing of her brow in concentration or her slight squirming against the bed.
A soft, shuddering gasp escaped her at the almost overwhelming sensation in her core. Penny bit back a moan, her heart already pounding as she clutched at his hair thoughtlessly. "Mal," she warned quietly, though of what she had no idea.
Tongue and fingers now working in tandem, Mal purred against her, then murmured, "Relax, Penny. Just let go."
One hand smoothed up and down her leg gently, almost a reassuring pet as he returned to his ministrations.
For a moment she grit her teeth against it, shivering at the mere idea of letting him continue down that path. She wanted it badly, though, that she couldn't deny.
"Right," she whispered shakily, gradually relaxing under his touch and petting at his hair in silent apology for her brief tugging.
It wasn't long until his attention left her with that familiar, coiling tightness in her belly and her heart feeling like it was ready to leap out of her chest. Unconsciously she lifted her hips toward him with a short, whining moan of frustration.
Mal chuckled and pulled away from her code to crawl back up over her body, peppering kisses over her neck and chest. He rocked his hips against hers gently with a groan.
"Ready, Pretty Penny?" he purred in her ear.
It was a struggle not to say anything smart when he stopped so abruptly, her eyes flashing at him in a moment of confusion and impatience over the desires she didn't know how to quench on her own.
Penny nodded eagerly at his question, lifting her head to rest against his shoulder and press a few soft kisses to his skin. She practically hummed with nervous-excited energy but wasn't so far gone that she couldn't reach out to tug at the hem of his pesky trousers.
Lifting one leg to hook her knee against his hip she nosed lightly at the juncture of his throat and whispered playfully, "I think I'm more ready than you are."
Mal laughed quietly and let her push his trousers down past his hips, then wriggled the rest of the way out of them on his own.
"Sweetheart, you have no idea," he breathed against her lips, then suddenly bucked forward and sheathed himself with one good thrust.
A groan bubbled out of his throat and he ducked his head to press against the curve of her neck and shoulder, clutching her to him as closely as he could.
Her triumph of "helping" him was short-lived, his abrupt entrance just what she'd been wanting but shocking nonetheless.
She cut off a stifled cry more of surprise than anything, a hand flying to cover her mouth automatically out of fear. The last thing she wanted was to draw attention to them.
Penny relaxed easily in his arms once no angry, thundering footsteps followed. A soft, shuddering whine escaped her lips as she buried her face against his hair, her hands gripping at his arms and shoulders while her legs folded around him to settle at his waist and draw him closer if that was even possible.
He was just as overwhelming as the first time, but there was no nervous uncertainty within her, no tension of the unexpected and new. Instead there was an excitement for what she hoped was to follow as she whispered soft words of encouragement and affection at his ear.
"Penny..." Mal rocked his hips gently into hers a few times, then suddenly turned them over, still holding her gently and giving encouraging most jobs of his hips but now looking up at her.
"Why don't you take the reins this time?" he murmured with a small, crooked smile as his hands smoothed up from her hips to cup her breasts and then back in a gentle rhythm.
"Hm? Me?" She stared down at him with open surprise and an innocent uncertainty. It wasn't that she was opposed, just lacking confidence.
"I don't know how, Mal," she apologized honestly, adjusting her legs to settle atop him and finding she quite liked the sensation. The least she could do was try, it didn't seem too difficult.
She quieted, looking down at his hands and reaching out to brace her own against his chest as she rolled her hips experimentally.
"Oh. That?" Penny clung to him tightly, trying to remain composed as she tried it again while watching his face instead.
Mal's eyes fluttered closed and his breath left him in a rush. "Yes. That."
It took a great amount of will not to turn them over again and just take her, his hands clutching at her hips as he fought the urge to pull her against him. He wanted her to have the chance to explore, to figure this out for herself.
But damn if watching her above him didn't drive him wild.
"Okay." Taking a shallow breath Penny tried again, lifting herself with a shudder before lowering once more. She much preferred a gradual rocking, though, clinging to Mal for support as she worked up to a slow rhythm.
Her eyes hooded in a haze of concentration, lips parting with soft pants as she took her pleasure. It was foreign to her in thought but the action seemed natural to her body.
Gradually she lowered herself atop him, quickly overwhelmed by the rising tension within. She clung to his arms for support as she muffled a groan against his chest, a soft, panting cry of frustration escaping her as she desperately moved her hips atop him.
"Oh gods." He swallowed thickly and his head fell back with a quiet groan. "Penny, you're killing me," he said with a rough chuckle as she started to find her rhythm.
Her could feel her tension mounting, mirrored by his own, and when she leaned forward over him he wrapped one arm around her waist and slipped the other hand down between them to tease her with his fingertips.
"What do you want?" he whispered into her ear before nipping at it gently. "More? Less?"
She whimpered quietly for the scrape of his teeth against sensitive skin. It was almost too much when coupled with his teasing.
Penny lifted her head enough to study his face through her fog, her lips still parted in open pleasure as she fought to keep going. "M-more," she pleaded quietly, legs tensing against his hips as she fought against the nice little waves of pleasure he was already teasing out of her.
Dipping her head back down she pressed a few open-mouthed kisses down along the side of his throat, fingers twitching slightly against his skin but unsure of what to really do with herself, how to get any more.
Mal tilted his head to accept her kisses and let his teasing become a little more forceful, rolling his hips up under hers as he did.
"Then take it," he murmured. "I'm at your mercy here, love."
Penny whined quietly in frustration, easily distracted by the deft movement of his hand. The scope of her attention quickly narrowed to all the nice feelings being drawn out of her. The familiar tension coiling in her core urged her on, the mage quite eager to show that she could do what he asked and do it well.
She rocked her hips in time with his own, pressure building until she just couldn't take any more and finally found her release with a short, gasping cry. Her kisses became little love bites and her limbs trembled as she clung to him in a silent plea to not be left to ride it out on her own.
And that was what he's been waiting for. With a groan, Mal sat up and wrapped his arms right around her, giving a few sharp upward bucks of his hips before he found his own relief and clutched her to his chest, his knees drawn up behind her back and he pressed frantic kisses to her temple and cheeks.
After a few shaky breaths Penny all but slumped against him, her legs hooking around him and her arms draping across his shoulders. A few moments to compose herself was all she needed, her familiar smile back rather quickly as she leaned in to press a kiss to his jaw.
"Mal," she murmured, sighing happily as she moved to brush their lips in a gentle kiss. "Thank you." She still wasn't sure if thanks was really appropriate for such a thing, but it felt right to express her gratitude anyway.
"Pretty Penny." Mal nuzzled into her and pressed a few soft kisses to her lips. "You never, ever have to thank me for that. It was my pleasure." He chuckled. "Believe me."
He curved his body a little more around her and stroked a hand gently down her hair.
She giggled quietly under her breath, amused that he kept saying that. Somehow it felt like he was spoiling her, being so insistent about it. She was far too inexperienced to understand it was simply the mark of a good lover.
"Don't have to, but...is it all right if I want to?" Penny tilted her head curiously, slightly leaning into his touch. The contact was enough to remind her of his own earlier reaction and she casually lifted a hand to start playing with the ends of his hair, slowly working her way closer towards the sensitive spot at the nape of his neck."It's like...a gift. Kind of rude not to say anything."
Mal closed his eyes and shivered as her fingers started playing with his hair and he tilted his head slightly into her touch.
"You're too sweet," he informed her in a quiet sigh, kissing the tip of her nose and smiling slightly. "But I suppose if you want to I can't very well stop you." He wrapped his arms a little tighter around her and kissed her properly. "Thank you, Penny."
"You're very welcome and- No, can't stop me," she agreed playfully, a slow grin spreading across her face. Adjusting herself on his lap she tried to rest more fully against him chest-to-chest, though the movement seemed unnecessary; she wasn't sure they really could get any closer.
Lifting her chin she pressed a few kisses to his temple and continued the gentle combing through his hair and the light brushes of her fingertips against his neck. Despite his earlier warnings Penny was determined to repay him in her own way, uncaring in the afterglow what would come of it so long as he was enjoying himself.
"Penny..." Mal gave a shuddering sigh and shifted underneath her. "Love, unless you wanna go again, you may want to stop doing that," he warned playfully.
She paused for a moment but continued on with a knowing little smile once it was clear he wasn't exactly asking her to stop.
"I don't see anything wrong with that," she told him honestly, pressing another kiss to his temple as her wings gave a shimmering flutter against her back. She let her fingers nestle more fully through his hair, her touches becoming less exploratory and more affectionate as she worked out what was drawing reactions from him best.
Gods she really was going to be the death of him. The phoenix crooned and playful nipped at her neck, his hands moving up her back to tease the edges of her wins with feathery touches.
"Minx," he accused, voice rough and growling while his eyes glinted gold at her, almost challenging.
Unbothered by the graze of teeth she closed her eyes for a moment, humming in appreciation for the light touch at her back she was beginning to associate with a particular warmth in her chest.
"If you say so. I wouldn't know," Penny laughed, shaking her head in amusement for the way he was looking at her once she opened her eyes again, completely unfazed by the sense of danger she probably should have had a little more respect for.
"But that doesn't really seem like a formal complaint," she pointed out, smirking playfully as her eyes danced with delight.
He laughed and suddenly dumped her onto the bed, rolling overtly cover her with his body. "No complaints?" He murmured, leaning in to kiss her and pressing every inch of himself against her that he could.
She gasped in surprise and for a moment lied there in complete stillness and silence as she studied him. Then she was reaching for him as if nothing had happened at all, a smirk slowly reaching her lips as she purposefully placed her fingers right along the nape of his neck again to pet rather fondly at the soft hair.
"None from me," she agreed, having a hard time not laughing at the silliness of it all. "Seems more a compliment coming from you. Besides..." -Penny lifted her head to whisper at his ear instead- "I think you like it, hm?"
Mal just about purred and his eyes slid to half mast.
"Damnit, Penny." He mock glared at her. "You make it awfully hard to seduce you when you take control like that."
She laughed softly under her breath, wrinkling her nose playfully at that. "I'd hardly call this taking control," she protested, finally relenting and letting her hands slip away from his hair to settle her arms around him in a loose hug instead. "But I release you, silly bird."
Her eyes danced with her amusement and a particular fondness she didn't think needed her voice. She leaned closer to leave a sweet peck to his cheek instead.
"Much better." He smirked at her. "Now I can think straight. Which means..." He dipped his head to nurse at her neck, then let his hand slide down to cup the back of her knee and hook her leg over his hip so he could slam his hips into hers sharply. "I- I can do this," he panted out, repeating the motion.
Clutching at his arms Penny let her head fall back against the pillows under his attentions, her eyes fluttering shut against the sudden, intense concentration of butterflies stirring in her belly again. In surrender she didn't question how he moved her, there was no need to fight him even playfully.
A short, puffing gasp escaped her lips for every buck against her. Hitching her leg higher to his waist she rolled her hips up to meet his own with a quiet, needy whine.
All her snark fled from her mind when she opened her mouth to speak. In her awareness of that a slow grin spread to her lips instead of any words coming forth immediately, the young mage taking a moment to recover her thoughts before she finally whispered, "And what else?"
Mal chuckled again, a little breathlessly. "What else do you want?" he purred into the curve of her neck, one hand skimming down to cup her hip and pull her even tighter against him.
She could only grin at that, one hand subconsciously inching up along his shoulders to tease her fingertips at his hair yet again despite how she'd only just relented.
"You'll get yourself in trouble asking me that, Mal," she warned, though there was certainly no malice in her tone, only lighthearted playfulness.
"I like this potion. But I think I'm too greedy with you," she confessed, turning her head to whisper at his ear, her cheeks flushing a dark shade of red as the words slowly came to her. "I just want you to take me again. Like last night. If you're not too...tired yet." Penny arched against him again, happy for the help as she pressed their hips together. It was like she couldn't get enough of being close like they were, the intimacy of it so new yet already such a drug for her.
He groaned against the skin of her neck. "Oh gods, Penny." Did she even realize how much she was driving him wild?
"Careful what you wish for," he growled, then suddenly rocked back to sit on his heels, pulling her onto his lap. His hands moved to grasp her hips and pull her forcefully into him with every buck of his hips.
Another low growl and he nipped at the curve of her neck and shoulder. He was heating up- literally, his skin not just flushed but almost feverishly hot, and in the darkness there were flickers of gold twisting under the surface of his skin, like fire in his veins.
With a shiver of delight she clutched him close, wings stretching to billow high before they settled down to curve along her back again. Somehow it seemed more intense than before, not being in control but also being more aware of what was happening between them.
Penny squirmed, wriggling in his grasp not to get away but to angle her hips in the delicious way that was just out of reach. She whimpered quietly then moaned at his ear once she found it, not bothered by the heat rolling off of him or even noticing the changes to his skin, just desperate to get more any way that she could as she bounced on his lap.
"Mal," she begged with a gasp, leaning her head away to offer more of her throat to him.
Mal dragged his teeth along the delicate skin of her throat, one hand moving to stroke where her wings connected to her back while the other slid down between them to tease her where they were joined.
"What?" he whispered, smirking against her skin. "What do you want?"
She tensed, trying to resist the pressure mounting so quickly within her for his touch. Already she was silently resenting how he seemed to know so well what drove her wild.
The mage whined in her frustration, burying her face against his shoulder to muffle a cry as she clung to him, trembling slightly. How could he not just know? It made sense logically, but she wasn't thinking logically. It was driving her insane trying to form words when she already felt overwhelmed and like she was losing her mind.
"Need you," she whispered, tilting her head some to look up at him. "More- I need you. I want... Just want you to feel this, too."
The phoenix chuckled darkly, quite enjoying this torturous teasing. But he was getting closer to the edge too, and his control was slipping.
"Tell me," he murmured, pressing his hips up into hers. "Tell me what you're feeling- gods!" A long, slow breath and he brought his lips crashing into hers
"Y-You." That was all she managed to get out before his kiss silenced her. She could feel his hunger, the yearning within him as their lips moved together and found relief in the fact that it wasn't much different from her own.
Penny pressed in close, hungry to take whatever she could from him until she had to surface for air, her breath coming in short pants as she nuzzled against his cheek instead for a moment to whisper harshly, "Gods, I just- It's hot, Mal. Everywhere. I feel you everywhere. Like I'm burning but there's no fire. No pain."
She shook her head gently in amazement; it didn't really make sense to her but it was the extent of her understanding.
"I know." Mal was breathing raggedly. "I know, Penny, I feel it too." His lips rained kisses over her face, neck, shoulders, desperate to get as much contact as he could.
"Beautiful," he whispered, bucking his hips up to bury himself in her heat as deep as he could. "Gods, you're beautiful."
It was a relief to know she wasn't alone, wasn't crazy for feeling what she did. She relaxed a little for it, humming in acknowledgement and leaning against him more fully. Her hips ground down against his, a quiet mewling escaping her as she curled her toes and fought the inevitable.
"Don't know how. Like this." She cracked a distracted little smile at that, shaking her head but not arguing him on it. He could think whatever he wanted so long as he kept making her feel that good.
Tilting her head she nipped lightly at his neck just behind his ear. The butterflies in her belly were growing more intense, her back arching against him without thought. "Just a little more," she pleaded quietly, biting lightly at her lip in concentration.
"Say no more." Mal was panting heavily now, bucking his hips rhythmically against her as his hands trailed up and down her form, nails digging in for purchase.
Without being quite aware that he was doing it, he pressed her down into the bed again and slammed into her with enough force to bruise, eyes clenched shut and a low, crooning growl rumbling in his chest.
"Come on, Pretty Penny," he rasped out. "Let go."
She hardly felt the bite of his nails or the pressure of being back against the bed. All of her attention was focused on being joined with him and the knife edge he had her dancing on. "Gods, Mal," she muttered in frustration.
At his words Penny locked her legs around his hips and dug her fingers into his shoulders, silently demanding he stay with her. Every breath of his felt a part of her, his growls coursing straight through her and the feeling of his heartbeat so close had her questioning if it was really his or her own. But then she suddenly didn't have time to think about it, her thoughts solely focused on the intense flood of emotion crashing through her that took her breath away.
A moment later she was throwing her head back with a stifled cry against a pillow, her whole body feeling so tense and relaxed all at once as she found her release again. With trembling limbs she clung to him, hips rolling against him in jerky aftershocks. Her lips parted with a stuttering gasp when she opened her eyes to just stare at him in silent awe.
Mal surged forward as he felt Penny reach her peak, pressing every inch of himself against her that he could. He caught her lips as she tried to muffle a cry into the pillow. One hand braced beside her head while the other danced up and down her form.
A few abortive thrusts of his hips and he groaned and shuddered above her, ducking his head to her chest as he panted lightly.
After a few moments to collect herself she closed her eyes again with a happy little hum. Tilting her head to pepper what she could reach of him with light kisses Penny held him close in a warm hug.
"So good to me," she murmured happily, lifting a hand to cup his face and brush her thumb along his cheekbone. Words weren't enough to convey her appreciation, but she didn't think he would have liked too much of it anyway.
His eyes fluttered closed and he crooned happily, tilting his head into her touch. "You deserve better," he murmured absently as he twisted his head to kiss her palm.
She sighed at that, shaking her head with a tired smile as she moved her hand to smooth out a brow instead. "I'm just being honest. See if I ever compliment you again," she teased lightly.
"Hmph." He nipped at her neck, then rolled off to nestle beside her with a small sigh. "Good. Now go to sleep. Please tell me you're tired," he huffed with a small laugh. "I may need a bit of rest if you want to go again."
"Exhausted," she laughed with a yawn, relieved she wouldn't be leaving him unsatisfied. Without thinking she scooted closer, curling up against him and hugging one arm to her chest to get comfortable.
"Stay here," she urged tiredly, peeking at him briefly before she closed her eyes against the heavy pull of sleep.
"You sure?" He nuzzled against her, perfectly content to stay that way for the foreseeable future. "Don't want to get you in trouble with Kura..."
She'd all but forgotten her mentor's presence, tensing slightly at the reminder before relaxing again with a shake of her head. Kura would just need to deal with it. At least in Penelope's mind that was a perfectly reasonable demand.
"Yeah," she sighed, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. "I'll...talk to her. I'd like you to stay. If you want to, that is." It felt a little strange to ask. He did have a whole bed to himself across the hall, but... There was something she really liked about being together. Maybe it was part of their bond magic.
He rumbled happily, the sound almost a purr in his chest. "Then I'll stay," he murmured, pulling her closer and tucking her head under his chin.
She smiled tiredly for that, comforted by the sound he produced. Reaching out blindly she grabbed for a blanket, failing a few times before she managed to latch onto it to pull over them. Only then did she nestle in against him, curling up and tucking her nose against his collarbone.
On its own his scent was quite soothing, but she didn't have time to even contemplate if the sudden sense of calm sweeping her up had to do with him or her body taking advantage of her finally being still for more than a few seconds at a time. Her breathing slowed and slumping more heavily against him she was out in no time at all.
Mal chuckled quietly as she fumbled with the blanket and held her a little tighter. Some protective instinct- perhaps a remnant of his predator ancestors- kept him awake until he felt her breathing even out in sleep before he allowed himself to follow her.
When the light of morning came Penny was slow to wake, fighting the urge to open her eyes and content just resting with Mal instead. Beyond the door she could hear the sounds of Kura puttering about. It was nice to not be forced out of bed, but she felt a slight twinge of guilt with the assumption that Kura trusted her to get going in her own time. She had to admit sleep had been sorely needed, though.
Nuzzling against the phoenix she curled in close against his chest, seeing no point in waking him if things would remain calm and peaceful.
Penny stirring brought Mal closer toward consciousness and he grumbled and tugged her tighter against his chest, burying his nose in her hair with a sleepy, contented huff.
She smiled lazily for that, wrapping him up in a warm hug before leaning her head up to look over him. She blinked sleepily against the light filtering into the bedroom until she couldn't stand the stinging anymore, burying her face against him instead. It was too comfortable to move away and for once since he'd arrived her thoughts didn't immediately fly to books and studying and all the other things she'd deemed critically important.
For once she was fully relaxed, even the sound of Kura walking right past the door in the hall not fazing her.
A chuckled rumbled in his chest and Mal kissed the top of her head. "Morning, beautiful," he murmured with a sleepy, rumbling croon.
Still holding her to his chest, he rolled over onto his back so she was sprawled on top of him.
Of course he managed to disturb her from all that, plucking her right up from her nest of warmth.
With a muffled whine against him she quickly adjusted to wrap herself around him, pressing close to try to stay as warm and comfortable as possible for as long as possible. She huffed, thumping his chest lightly with a fist once she was resettled, yawning and nosing at him affectionately.
"You're in a good mood," she grumbled at his throat, rolling her eyes playfully even though she was hidden. "But morning yourself. Sleep good?"
"And why wouldn't I be?" Mal chuckled. "I'm waking up warm, comfortable, and with a very pretty girl in my bed." Her caught her cheek and tilted her head up to better see her face. "Seems like a great morning to me."
She just huffed at that but flushed a nice color once he'd brought her up. For a moment she just stared, then gulped quietly. He really was trouble. And way too distracting.
"It's actually my bed," she reminded him primly, smiling slyly. "But I share nicely."
Penny leaned in closer, raising a hand to brush his hair from his face and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips. "And I'm happy you stayed," she whispered.
"Mm. Your bed, my bed, same difference..." he teased lightly as he parted his lips for her just slightly as he kissed her back.
"I'm glad I stayed too," he chuckled, the sound rumbling in his chest.
Penny just laughed at that, shaking her head gently and ducking down to nuzzle at his shoulder as she allowed a hand to trace light patterns along his chest. She didn't want to think about the inevitable, for once the idea of returning to her studies completely unappealing.
"Can't we stay in bed all day?" She sighed wistfully, only half-joking as she peered out the window.
He laughed and squeezed her gently. "I'm perfectly content with that plan. You're the workaholic," he pointed out, crinkling his nose.
"Of course you would be," she sighed, giving him another gentle thwack. "If we did things your way I doubt you'd ever be free of this place." And she really couldn't have that.
"If the weather's good, could we maybe go out today?" She tilted her head with a hopeful smile and lifted a hand to point up at the ceiling. She didn't really feel guilty for asking anymore, though she probably should have.
Mal laughed again and kissed her cheek. "Of course, if you want." It certainly wasn't strenuous for him, and he'd take the excuse to stretch his wings.
"Really?" She tried to taper her excitement at how readily he'd agreed but wasn't able to quite fast enough for a flash of a smile not to show. "Well if that's all- You'd tell me if I ask too often, wouldn't you? I mean we have been going a lot, nearly every day," she reminded him, though she wasn't quite sure why she was giving him any ammo to deny her. It just seemed the responsible thing to do.
"Maybe after I get some studying done," she finally offered with a self-deprecating laugh after a bit of silent self-bargaining. "Make some good progress before I get too comfortable."
"I like it," Mal said with a small smile. "Really. You don't need to keep bargaining like that."
She smiled appreciatively for that but shook her head. "I need to, though. I should do it. You can wait here, can't you?"
He pouted at her, but relented with a dramatic huff, "Fine. I can wait." He rolled his eyes and flopped back onto the bed. "Oh, such a cruel fate, locked away for the only purpose of pleasing my unwitting mistress," he lamented melodramatically, eyes glinting.
Penny just stared for a moment, blinking in disbelief before she blushed and moved to slide off of him to curl back up against his side instead. "Well you don't have to stay in this room," she corrected, feeling rather insulted by his playfulness. "I'm not your mistress, I just thought- Maybe you might be comfortable here," she offered, realizing how silly it sounded the more she said it. He could be anywhere in the house practically so why should he stay there?
"Sorry," she mumbled, turning again to roll away so she could slide off the bed and go find her clothes. The sooner she could end her awkward moment and start the day the better off they would both be.
"Penny." Mal rolled his eyes and caught her wrist, pulling her back onto the bed and into his arms. "I'm teasing you," he muttered, kissing her temple and burying his nose in her hair. "I like this room. I like your bed. It smells like you- most comfortable place in the world to me."
She fell back to the bed without a fight, rolling her eyes at his assurances as she leaned against him. "You sound like a trapped man talking like that, Mal." At least she assumed that was all it was, she didn't see what could be so special about something so ordinary -to her- and she had a hard time believing he might genuinely feel that way.
Penny settled against him with a shiver, quickly realizing she much preferred his warmth to the chill being away from their blanket nest had brought on. Slowly slipping her arms around him she ducked to rest her cheek to his shoulder.
He frowned. "And how do I sound trapped? I said I like it here, with you."
She nodded, puffing a breath against him with a short laugh. "Yeah, that's what I mean, silly. You sound like you've given up and accepted that you're stuck here," she explained. "Just trying to be happy with what you have, you know? That sort of thing."
"Well I'm not." He nipped at her collar in playful reprimand. "Penny, I'm glad I met you. Truly. If you hadn't made the mistake you did, I'm not sure it would have happened. Gods bless your curiosity."
Well that got her attention. Penny tilted her head to study him curiously, narrowing her eyes at him and trying to judge the sincerity of his words. Trouble was, he didn't look like he was playing and suddenly she felt quite bad for implying that he hadn't been serious before.
"Oh... Yeah, probably not. But- Well, it did happen, hm? Clumsy me." She smiled some and shook her head, pressing a little closer to hug him.
"I'll make sure you have a keepsake when you can leave. You know, to remember my smell," she teased lightly, nuzzling against him. "As long as you promise to visit sometimes."
His heart gave a funny little lurch and he found himself clutching her closer, a small, possessive growl rumbling in his chest.
He didn't want to go.
Mal frowned as the realization struck him, then suddenly relaxed his grip. He needed to get a grip on himself. "Course I'll visit," he mumbled awkwardly.
Penny just smiled happily, oblivious to his discomfort but relaxing her own grip and assuming he simply wanted the contact to end. She slowly let her hands slide away, leaning up to press a quick kiss to his cheek before pulling away to sit back on her legs.
"Thanks. I'm sure that'll be nice. Someday. You know, reminisce about the crazy times. Probably haven't had enough of those yet." She moved to crawl out of bed again with a small laugh, rubbing at her arms for the chill in the room before leaning to pluck her gown from its resting place on the floor. She pulled it on quickly as a temporary cover, though she didn't even realize it was inside out.
Puttering around she tossed his trousers to the bed before going to find herself fresh clothes for the day in the chest across the room and tame her hair into something presentable at the mirror in the corner.
"Hmm..." He pulled the trousers she tossed at him on and got to his feet with a few grunts, stretching his arms and arching his back. "Yeah. Yeah, maybe..."
He shook himself and started looking around for his shirt, a small frown taking up residence on his face.
When she was dressed and finished she turned to watch him curiously, wondering if his look was just unconsciously thoughtful or if something was wrong.
Spying the corner of his shirt peeking out from under the bed, though, she moved forward to grab it and hold out for him. "Is...everything okay?" she asked gently, blue eyes flickering over him with concern.
"Hm? Oh- yeah, yeah everything's fine." He smiled and took the shirt with a murmured, "Thanks," before pulling it on. "Go on, I'll be out in a second. Don't want Kura getting suspicious."
"Oh. Right." She laughed a little nervously at that, cheeks darkening a bit. How could she have forgotten already?! She was getting too comfortable.
Shaking her head she offered a grateful smile and reached out to touch his forearm briefly in a temporary farewell as she stepped away. Moving to the door she peeked out into the hall briefly before shutting the door again. "You know where to find me," she whispered teasingly, glancing in the direction of the study before slipping out into the hall.
Blessedly Kura seemed occupied for the moment and she was able to step into the other room down the hall without being noticed, though Penny's heart pounded loudly in her guilt. It was only when she was settled at the desk and a few minutes of silence had passed without her teacher bursting into the room in a rage that she was able to calm down and properly crack open her books again.
Mal waited a few moments, poking his head out into the hall to check if the coast was clear before he slipped out and made his way toward the kitchen.
He grabbed a few basic rations and moved back toward the study, rapping on the door. "Pen. Ya gotta eat before you get started."
Penny startled a bit for the interruption but relaxed once she realized he was offering her the breakfast she'd forgotten in her haste to appear "normal."
"I can multitask you know," she protested gently, moving to stand and open the door for him. She held a hand out expectantly but after a moment made a shuffling little side-step to wordlessly invite him in if he'd wanted to join her.
She cast a few anxious glances around him but relaxed when she didn't see a lurking Kura waiting to wring her neck. The old mage was cunning, but she gave her far too much credit in assuming she was capable of using the phoenix as bait to trick her like that.
Mal handed over the food and cocked an eyebrow at her. "Relax," he murmured. "You make it seem more suspicious the more you go out of your way to act "normal"."
She narrowed her eyes at him for that. Did he have to say that out loud?
"I'm not trying to act like anything," she argued calmly, though the sadness in her eyes for being found out so easily immediately betrayed her as a liar. Turning her back on him she moved to go sit at the desk once more, though she set the food to the side and didn't touch it as she picked up her book again instead.
Remembering herself, though, she lifted her eyes to him again with a small smile and a quick, "Thank you," for his trouble.
"Penny." He sat on the desk, pushing the book out of her face. "I'm not leaving until you eat."
Her eyes widened in shock as she snapped her chin up to stare at him. Had he really just done that?
She narrowed her eyes in challenge briefly before relenting, finding it entirely not worth it to fuss with him over something so silly and childish. Yet she still threw out a mumbled jab of, "Don't have to be so bossy."
With a slow hand she reached out again, finally deciding on a hunk of bread to tear little pieces from. She ate about half before setting it aside again, chewing slowly as if to make sure he could see evidence of it.
"Where are you off to, then?" she wondered conversationally.
"Well, I can't exactly go far," he pointed out with an arched eyebrow. "I'll probably just ask Kura if anything else around the house needs fixing."
Penny smiled apologetically, nodding in acknowledgement. That had been a silly question. "Fair enough. Have a nice day," she bid him, lifting a hand to wave briefly before snatching up her book again. With a quick, thoughtful glance she added a playful, "Don't work too hard."
Mal rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I'm the one who works to hard." He slipped back out of the room and poked his head into the kitchen, glancing around the small cottage.
"Kura? You around?"
The mage poked her head into the hall wearily at the sound of her name, staring at the phoenix for a moment just judging whether or not she should actually entertain his presence. After a moment she stepped out of her quarters and puttered down toward the kitchen to join him, cup of tea already in hand as she gave him an assessing look. She noted he seemed far too alert for the morning compared to previous ones.
"Of course I am. It is my house," Kura teased, snorting and casting a disapproving look toward the door to the study. She really wished Penny would get her nose of the books and start practicing, but she supposed it would take more time for her student to gain the confidence to try.
Turning back to the phoenix she raised a brow questioningly. "Something you need from me?"
"Actually, I was sort of hoping it might be the other way around." He gave her an almost sheepish smile. "I've really got nothing to do while Penny's being all obsessed, was hoping you might give me a project or something."
Kura studied him carefully with one arched brow, absently crossing her arms and trying to determine his seriousness and sincerity. He hadn't disappointed with his previous work, but she certainly didn't want him feeling obligated to work for her as a guest by extension of her student.
"I'm surprised she's kicked you out already," she assumed with a snort, glancing towards the door to the study before offering him an apologetic smile. Decision made, Kura relaxed her posture a bit and lifted her cup to her lips as she turned thoughtfully this way and that.
"Are you any good with patching a roof?" she wondered, eyes settling on him again with a curious glint. "We've had some leaks for a while now and it would be nice to have them fixed up while it's sunny before we're caught in a storm again. Only if you want to. And it's not too high for you. Or too far." She added the last as an afterthought, uncertain if he'd be able to complete everything with Penny tucked away like she was as an anchor for their bond.
Mal gave her a lopsided grin. "Well, we won't know until I try, huh? You got tools or something you want me to use?"
He was a little worried about the bond, if he was honest, but he didn't see the point in not trying.
"Of course, give me a moment." Kura smiled warmly, truthfully very pleased with him despite her own feelings on the matter.
After finishing her tea and setting the cup aside she stepped out into the main room, crouching to rummage through cupboards for a few moments before she brightened and pulled out a small pail with a few different hammers. Setting that aside she retrieved a small wooden box with nails, though a cursory inspection revealed that there were several of the larger ones for the roof boards inside.
"These should be fine," she murmured distractedly. Placing the box in the pail she lifted the whole thing to set on top of the cupboard before flitting away to dig through a closet in the hall. Pulling out a few spare whole boards she frowned at them, looking them up and down before deciding they were the best she had and setting them aside for Mal. "These are too big, but- There should be a saw outside somewhere, probably around back."
Kura winced in memory before offering him an apologetic smile. "Penny got it stuck in a log last winter. I'm sure it's all rusted now, but I could pretty it up for you if you'll bring it in to me," she offered.
"Nah, I am manage with this." Mal smiled and took the supplies with a jaunty wink. "Fire mage remember? I can weaken the wood to break it apart. And I promise I won't burn the house down," he added with a laugh as he moved toward the door. Seemed he was going to test their bond through trial and error.
Kura winced at his assurance but felt she needed to give him the benefit of the doubt on this. Even if he did start some horrible fire she was certain she'd be able to put it out before it did any real damage. "As long as you don't," she chuckled, though her features softened considerably as she studied him as he left her.
"Thank you, Mal. I suppose you really do have a good head on your shoulders," she praised lightly, offering him a genuine smile before turning to head back to her own quarters. She was content to see how the day played out, whether either he and Penny might make any progress with their predicament or if all that would come of it would be a patched roof.
"Let me know if you need any other supplies," she called as an afterthought, not looking back to him but waving her hand towards the ceiling in gesture.
"Well, I ought to," Mal laughed. "Da just about beat the darn thing into shape with all the books he threw at me growing up." He tossed Kura another light smile and a wink as he slipped outside, waving over his shoulder to let her know he'd heard her offer.
Getting onto the roof wasn't all that difficult. To his pleasant surprise, though there was a faint tugging in his chest it wasn't exactly painful and he thought he could work through it. He set about patching the weak spots he could see, using a bit of magic here and there to augment his strength or the speed of his work.
Fire wasn't his only capability, it was just his strongest suit.
There was a distinct discomfort that settled into Penny that she just couldn't shake for a good part of the day. It was similar to what she'd felt whenever separated from Mal but somewhat amplified. She fidgeted in her seat, becoming unfocused and constantly losing her place in her reading for it coupled with the odd sounds coming from the roof. It was downright distracting, but she managed to jot down a couple of notes and ideas so the day wasn't entirely useless.
By mid afternoon she had become entirely restless, realizing she'd been alone and neither Kura nor Mal had been in to check on her. That was ridiculous, though, what kind of grown woman needed that sort of attention?
Shaking her head and setting her books aside she closed the small notebook and took it with her as she finally emerged from the study. Looking around, though, she frowned and realized that neither of them were out in the main part of the house. Wandering down the hall a bit she called quietly for her teacher but the older mage didn't answer. Probably napping, Penny assumed with a sigh, feeling guilty about wanting to share her ideas with her, maybe even get them "approved" before pitching them to Mal. It seemed wrong to just experiment and try things that very well might end up with either or both of them being badly hurt.
Holding the book stiffly against her hip she moved back out towards the main room, shuffling around under the sounds above. Somehow that soothed her a bit, so she assumed Mal was up there. Perhaps they were both outside, but it seemed an odd thing for Mal to do without her being any closer. With a mixture of relief and sadness she wondered if perhaps their bond was becoming weaker.
Making up her mind, she stepped outside and peered up at the roof, tilting her head questioningly at the odd sounds. "Mal? Is that you up there?"
"Whoa!"
He'd been so absorbed in his work he hadn't even noticed her approach. Mal started, almost pitching backward off the roof, then managed to steady himself.
"Gods above!" he peered down at Penny and laughed. "I'm gonna have to get you a bell, girl. What's up?"
Penny just stared wide-eyed as he caught himself, the action seeming in slow-motion as her heart leapt wildly in her chest.
"Maybe so," she whispered, feeling guilty for startling him. "I thought you might have sensed my presence. Or something." It sounded silly to her once the words were out of her mouth but she shook her head, trying to refocus herself on why she'd gone to check on him.
"I think I might have found...something. I don't know if it will work, but there's a few passages about weather...management. And something about stilling winds. Perhaps using it on ourselves might help? It's part air, after all. Thought it might be worth a try."
"Alright." He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced back at his work. "Mind if I finish up here? Won't take more than fifteen minutes."
He tossed another smile in her direction; now that she was within his sight again, he suddenly felt more relaxed, though he hadn't even realized he was tense before.
"Of course, take your time," she insisted, waving in dismissal before fussing her hands uncomfortably in her skirts. She didn't exactly want to leave his presence but didn't want to disturb him from his work either.
"I'll wait out here, get some fresh air," she called up to him with her excuse, moving a little ways from the house so she wouldn't be hovering in his workspace but could still keep an eye on him. "She's not working you too hard, is she?"
Mal scoffed. "Of course not, I can handle this." He flexed dramatically and threw her a wink as he continued working.
"How 'bout you, little thing? Still pushing yourself too hard?"
"Well I had to ask." She just shook her head at his theatrics, though she couldn't quite hide a smile for his silliness.
It was hard to keep smiling through his jab, though, and a determined frown set upon her face instead. "I'm not pushing myself too hard, I'm trying to learn how to fix this. Don't you want to be free again? Not going to happen if I don't take this seriously."
"Penny." He sat back and frowned down at her. "Taking something seriously and working yourself to death are two different things. You're treading dangerously close to the line."
She felt a bit hesitant about the whole thing. If he was so concerned she probably should have been as well, right?
"As I've said, no one's ever died from too much reading, Mal. I'll be fine," she insisted gently. "I know when to stop. And it's not like you and Kura would let me starve or anything. It's just important. Probably the "greatest" thing I'll ever accomplish with my magic and I want to do it right."
He rolled his eyes, exasperated. "Is it so important that you do something great with your magic?"
Sure, he'd like to get this link between them sorted out, but he had a feeling it was about more than that for Penny.
Penny winced at that, averting her gaze to look at the ground instead as she thought on it for a moment.
"Honestly...I'd like to remember my time with it somehow. It's clear enough to me I probably won't be able to make a career of it or anything like Kura. Maybe just do some parlor tricks. I'd like to be able to know I accomplished something good for all the time I've spent studying it. Good memories, you know? Not a failure I couldn't ever conquer or a burden I left on you."
"Penny..." Mal shook his head. "Magic- its a part of you. It always will be. It doesn't have to be flashy or pay to feed you, it just...is."
He smiled at her almost sadly. "My father couldn't separate us, and in all modesty he's one of the greatest sorcerers this century. It's no failure that you haven't found an answer yet."
Penny shrugged and leaned back against the wall of the house. "Of course, I just fear the worst, Mal. It would be a shame to find out I've been wasting Kura's time all these years. Maybe I'm just a late bloomer, though? She must see something in me if she hasn't sent me home yet."
She sighed heavily, slumping some at the thought of it being the other way around instead. "I just hope it'll be enough."
"Pen." The phoenix glanced at work he had left to do- not much- and leaped easily off the edge of the roof to land crouched in front of her. He straightened up, rubbing at the back of his neck and smiling a little sheepishly.
"Look, I'm not gonna pretend to have the answers. But I've seen something in you, lass."
She flinched some for his sudden appearance before her, eyes blowing wide for a moment before she realized he'd jumped on purpose and hadn't fallen. Relaxing some she smiled slightly for the encouragement, though she felt a little bad for venting to him.
"What do you think you've seen?" she asked, head tilted at him curiously.
He smiled slightly and reached out to cup his cheek. "Does it matter? I'm not master enchanter, Penny, but would you call me useless?"
He shrugged. "I think you're a lot like me, really. A creature of magic, not necessarily someone who manipulates it easily."
Penny shook her head, understanding his point but also feeling a little discouraged by it. "So... Maybe there is something there but it might not have the kind of power that we need on its own. I guess I just need to work even harder at it," she sighed dramatically, a half-teasing glint in her eye as she reached out to pat his arm.
"Are you finished already, then?" she asked, tilting her head to look up at the roof.
Mal rolled his eyes heavenward and muttered something that might have been "Gods give me strength" before snaking an arm around her waist and tugging her closer.
"I can be done for now," he murmured into her hair, his free hand playing with a few loose locks.
Leaning in to hug him close she thought on his wording for a moment, humming in contemplation. "It can wait if you'd rather finish up now," she pointed out, though she didn't loosen her hold on him at all. Instead she skated a hand up his shoulder to lightly pet at the nape of his neck.
Mal crooned at the touch and his eyes fluttered closed for a moment. "No, that's...alright," he mumbled. "I'll just finish up later."
She laughed softly and removed her hand after a few moments more, turning to take his hand and tug him towards the door instead. "This might take a while, but I'll try to remind you if you forget," she offered.
"Alright, alright." Her curled his fingers around hers and allowed her to tug him along.
Slipping back inside she took them straight to the study, hurrying over to the desk where she'd left her book open to the passage that had caught her attention. After reading over it again she flipped to the next page to read about the reversal of what she wanted to try and the other variations of it that existed. "I guess it kind of works as a...blessing," she thought aloud, moving slowly to pluck ingredients from the shelves and arrange them on the desk.
"'Still the winds ravaging crops and bring rains to nourish them.' Huh. Well, I think it has potential. Trade one for the other, I guess? We can weather a bit of rain to be rid of this, right?" she teased, lifting her eyes from the book for a moment to shoot him a playful smile and gesture at a chair. "Take a seat, it should only take a few minutes. Just have to let me sprinkle you with some of this when I'm done."
"Ohhhkay." Mal hesitantly took a seat as he watched her move around. "We sure this isn't gonna summon a hurricane and blow down the house? Cause if it does I'm blaming you."
Penny huffed, shaking her head at his jab and glaring at him briefly before she returned her attention to the book and the particular recipe for this spell. "That's impossible," she scoffed distractedly, reading each line one at a time before adding the corresponding ingredients to a small bowl.
Once she had everything together and crushed to a powder she whispered a few incantations over the bowl and took a shaky breath. "I think that's all," she murmured, smiling nervously as she pinched a few sprinkles of the powder into her hand and held it poised over him. "Ready? Not changing your mind?"
Mal glanced up, then back to her eyes. "Ready." He tilted his head at her with a small smile, waiting.
She hummed, nervously leaning to look at the book one last time to make sure she wasn't missing any steps. Her eyes widened at the realization of the final blessing she was missing, muttering the phrase quickly over her palm before snapping upright again and carefully sprinkling it over Mal.
She watched him curiously for a moment, wondering if there would be an immediate change at all before she cursed under her breath and rushed to perform the same short ritual on herself.
There was no physical difference she could feel at all but a moment later the sound of angry raindrops reached her ears. The sky darkened quickly and a flash of lightning out the window caused her to flinch. "Do you think it worked?" Penny asked quietly, eyes wide with hope she didn't dare voice but not realizing the spell had truly only been for weather.
"Pen..." Mal glanced toward a window and winced slightly. "I, uh, think it did work..." He nodded toward the rain.
"Yeah... I think so." She smiled with hope as she stepped closer to the window, though another flash of lightning and rumble of thunder drawing nearer to the cottage had her flinching again. "Go see how far you can go! See if you can leave," she urged, waving excitedly at the door.
"Penny." He rubbed at the back of his neck. "One: I can't head out in that storm. Two: I...think the storm is the spell."
Penny flushed darkly once she remembered why that was, feeling foolish for forgetting already and even asking it of him in the first place. "Oh Gods, I'm sorry. I was just excited, it can wait until- What? The storm is the spell?"
She turned to look out the window again, frowning deeply as raindrops began to patter gently on the glass, though they were quickly growing louder and angrier and another roll of thunder shook the cottage walls. That got her to step back finally, curling her hands in as if the vibrations had burned her and giving Mal a sad but hopeful smile. "It's probably just a coincidence, we were due for some rain anyway. Let's wait it out and try when it clears? At least we'll get to see if you've patched the roof," she added, trying to keep some optimism up about the whole thing potentially being another failure.
Mal hated to see that smile. He much preferred the little quirk her lips got when she was actually happy, or even exasperated with him.
Without thinking, he reached out to grab her wrist and tug her gently against him, turning her so her back was to his chest and she could look out the window. He dropped his chin onto her shoulder.
"Watch the rain with me?"
"What? Oh...sure." Penny leaned back against him some, eyes still a bit sad as she looked out the window at the increasingly angry tears across the glass.
"Do you like watching rain? You know, even though you can't exactly go out in it? ...it's kind of like music sometimes," she mused.
He shrugged. "It's pretty. I sort wonder what it would be like to stand out in it." His voice had just a hint of wistfulness to it as he propped his chin on the top of her head.
Penny thought on how to describe it, giggling quietly and tilting her head briefly to kiss his chin. "Welll. It can be nice sometimes, like a mist that's just settling on your skin. You can barely feel it but rain like this...probably would hurt. Strong storms hit harder, like being poked by lots of tiny little fingers."
"Hm." Mal smirked, eyes glinting mischief. "So...like this?" He jabbed his fingers into her sides, dancing over her ribs while his other arm kept her pinned.
With a wide-eyed squeak Penny was writhing against his hold on her immediately, laughing a pained laugh and cursing her ticklishness and his knack for exploiting it. "Yessss, kind of like that, you meanie." She pouted playfully through her giggles, twisting to try to hold his hand still but knowing he was strong enough to keep going if he wanted to. "It's more of a tapping poke than a tickling poke, though."
"Mmm..." Mal dipped his head to kiss her neck, feathering a few light touches up her ribs to clasp his hands just below her breast. "I think I've lost interest," he murmured, chuckling.
Penny relaxed as his touch shifted to something far more gentle, the last of her giggles accompanied by a happy sigh as she leaned back against his chest instead. "Already? And I was trying so hard to teach you," she huffed playfully, skimming her hands along his forearms contently.
Mal kissed her jaw with a soft "hmm" of acknowledgement, obviously much more interested in what he was currently doing.
He bit back a quiet groan as she leaned back into him and nibbled gently at her ear. "What are the chances we could sneak an hour to ourselves? Or maybe fifteen minutes?" he muttered
"Hmm. I think we can sneak a little time away from her," she admitted quietly, careful not to name her mentor in case the mage was listening for it to be called. "Maybe fifteen minutes, maybe an hour if we're lucky."
Penny smirked knowingly, tilting her head to eye him curiously while feigning ignorance. "Did you want to sneak away for a cuddle while we wait out the storm?"
"Yes. Cuddle. Exactly." Mal growled playfully and pulled her a little more firmly against him, dipping his head to scatter kisses along the length of her throat to her shoulder.
A small shiver of delight raced down her spine for his touch, the idea that she'd conjured some sort of storm already pushed to the back of her mind.
Glancing at the door she smiled mischievously and turned herself to press a kiss to Mal's cheek and stand on her toes to whisper at his ear, "Let's find some privacy, hm? I'd rather not get caught here." Her lips curled to a wicked grin as she settled back down on her feet and tugged at his arm to quickly lead him out to the hall.
A low croon reminiscent of a pleased bird of prey hummed in his throat and Mal followed her easily, eyes locked on her every move.
Penny shuffled quickly across to the guest room that was quickly becoming something she thought of as his, slipping through the door with a rush of adrenaline coursing through her as she listened for any movement from her teacher's quarters.
After a few pounding heartbeats of waiting her features relaxed into a playful smile and she danced away to the bed, flopping back against it with a giggle, hair fanning out beneath her.
Mal's eyes flashed predatorily as he leaned back against the door and watched her for a moment. Then he was across the room, on the bed, wrapping his arms around her and flipping them over so she was in his lap as he half knelt, hitching her knee up over his hip and kissing her fiercely.
Penny gasped and giggled for the sudden movement but happily went along with him, snaking an arm around his neck to sink her fingers into the soft hair at the nape of his neck -which was quickly becoming a favorite spot of hers- and pressing close against him, chest to chest.
She brought her free hand up to cup his cheek with a particular tenderness, unhurried but tilting her head to deepen their kiss with a low hum of appreciation.
"Mmm..." Mal closed his eyes and tilted his head back into her touch, practically purring. He was really learning to love that particular touch.
His hands roamed up and down her back, clenching gently in the fabric of her clothes.
Penny chuckled quietly to herself, amused with how he seemed to be letting himself enjoy it for once. She pressed a trail of lazy kisses up his jaw and cheek, sighing happily as she inhaled his scent and continued the idle petting.
"I think I like being close with you too much," she confessed softly, smiling some and wriggling on his lap a little for the small thrill that raced up her back for the roaming hands over her clothes.
He growled quietly and nipped at her throat. "No such thing, precious," he chuckled, and promptly rolled them over so he perched above her, pinning her to the bed.
She slowly released him, slipping her hands down along his shoulders and chest without shame. Her eyes looked up at him with increasing hunger but still held a playful twinkle. "You only say that because you know it benefits you," Penny chastised lightly, tsking softly under her breath.
"Hm. Guilty." He chuckled and bent his head to kiss along her collar and down her chest, growling when he was stopped by his neckline.
She had to bite her lip to keep from laughing but that didn't keep the cheeky grin off her face for the small barrier he seemed to be facing. "Get yourself stuck there?" she teased, tugging gently at the hem of his top. "Here, let me help you first."
Mal growled at her, but sat back and raised his arms to allow her to help him with his shirt. "I will get you for that," he informed her with a mock glare.
"Oh will you now?" Penny couldn't help the knowing grin that lit up her face for that, enjoying their banter and teasing far too much. She looked up at him, purposefully doe-eyed as she set the shirt aside, quickly discarded and forgotten in favor of what had been hidden beneath it. "And what exactly have I done to deserve anything like that?"
Ignoring her question, the phoenix tugged at the hem of her dress. "This. Off," he play-growled.
She pouted slightly for his lack of indulging her play, sighing with an exaggerated roll of her eyes as she arched up to get her hands beneath her. The mage took her sweet time undoing the ties at her back then started to slip the garment off her shoulders before stopping with a playful twinkle in her eyes. "Surely you can manage the rest?"
Mal practically tackled her back onto the bed, easily jerking the dress down passed her hips. His hands slid up her legs, over her hips and waist to her breasts, then back to her waist. He kissed her lips, her nose, her cheeks, pulling her body tight against his.
Penny shivered in delight, his eagerness unexpectedly aggressive but very welcome. She kicked the dress away with a drawn out,"Malll," squirming against his hold on her and panting lightly between the assault of his kisses as she tried to keep up with her own.
Even so she was still encouraging him, fingers running along his sides and lifting a knee to hook her leg just above the waist of his trousers again, feeling that familiar slow burn wherever they touched.
Another crooning growl rumbled in his chest and Mal trailed his kisses down her chest, hooking her other leg up around his hip in encouragement.
"Easy, precious thing," he purred quietly, lifting his head. "I'd rather your mistress didn't hear us."
Of course. That would be a disaster.
She whimpered quietly in frustration, pouting and giving him her best pleading look. "Not fair."
Well they couldn't exactly do anything to fix that at the moment. The rain kept him stuck inside for now and she didn't really want to have to explain if Kura caught them sneaking out anyway. Still, she could manage quiet. It was just a little harder now that she knew the potential sea of pleasure that could be stirred up between them.
Penny secured her legs around him stubbornly as she whispered to accuse him, "I think you're enjoying my torment far too much."
"Maybe a little." He smirked and nipped at her neck, then pulled away so he could work his trousers down over his hips before leaning in for another kiss.
Penny watched him undress with an appreciative sweep of her eyes, humming in delight once he was with her again and relaxing her hold on him a little. She took her time now, keeping their kiss long, sweet, and light while she let her hands roam his shoulders and chest once more.
"Just not fair it feels so good being close with you," she murmured, breaking away to feather a few kisses out along his cheek and jaw.
He tried not to feel too smug about that.
"It's a very mutual feeling, pretty thing," he informed her with a low purr as he returned her kisses.
She rolled her eyes with a grin, laughing softly and humming with delight. "You know, Mal, I think you flirt a lot more in bed than out of it," she pointed out. Not that she was complaining, of course.
Trailing her hands back up along his chest she nestled one in his hair, combing gently through his locks front to back but lightly skirting the sensitive spot that seemed to always turn him to clay in her hands.
He chuckled and turned onto his side, pulling her with him as his hand skimmed down over her hip to rest at the hem of her underthings. "Are you complaining?"
Penny adjusted easily to turn with him, keeping one leg draped over him as she nuzzled against his chest.
"Noooo." She laughed, locking a bit of hair around her fingers and giving him a gentle tug as reprimand for even suggesting it. "Just noticed. It's okay, I know you're a little shy," she teased with a wink.
Mal latched onto her neck with a flurry of bites and kisses in retaliation, his hands sweeping up and down her body as he did.
She flinched and squeaked in surprise, body tensing in self-defense as she reached to playfully push at him and block his hands where she could. She couldn't really do it with any real fight, of course, loving the affection as much as she hated being surprised with it.
"No fair," she whined between laughs, finally gripping his shoulders firmly with a gasping, "You win! You win, I'm sorry!"
"Shhh." He chuckled and laid a hand gently over her mouth. "You're gonna get us caught."
Penny rolled her eyes with a quiet groan, kissing his palm lightly. "We're not going to get caught," she whispered, blue eyes dancing with mirth.
She skimmed her hands down her sides, slipping off her underclothes at last to lie bare against the bed. A sly smile curved her lips as she lightly tugged on his wrist. "Maybe you should put that somewhere else."
"As you wish, m'lady." His hand skimmed over her body, tracing each curve hungrily before settling gently between her legs as he kissed her again.
"Gods." He took a sharp breath and leaned back to wriggle out of his underthings before leaning back over her.
A soft hum escaped her for the touches, gooseflesh prickling across her skin and a small shiver running through her.
She couldn't help a small giggle as she watched him, though she did try to hide it behind a smile, enjoying his momentary struggle in undressing himself. Her eyes studied him with an eager, curious sparkle and she pressed close once he was with her again.
Her lips found his with a happy sigh, savoring the warmth between them as she ghosted a light touch along his side and to his hip. There she hesitated only a few moments before taking him in hand with a slow smirk. "The gods can't help you now," she whispered playfully.
He growled quietly and attacked her neck with nips and kisses, sliding his hand around her knee to lift it and hook it over his hip.
She supposed she deserved that but his assault didn't keep the grin from her face. Securing her leg around him again at his insistence she continued her light, teasing touches with a self-satisfied hum, running her hand along his length to explore without ever really stroking properly.
Mal pulled away from her touch with a quiet groan, clasping her hand in his as he slid against her, turning his kissed to her lips.
Penny quirked a brow at that but didn't resist the adjustment, a smirk lighting up her face as she leaned close to share in hungry kisses instead. "Feeling shy now?" she teased in a whisper, delivering a light nip to his bottom lip.
"Not shy," he corrected with a nip. "Impatient." His hips rocked against hers and his breathing grew a little heavier as he peppered kisses over her face.
The mage hissed softly for the slight pain of his teeth but bit at her lip to stifle a groan as she dug her fingers into his shoulders. "Odd way to show it," she accused lightly, eyes sparkling with challenge as she rocked her hips against his in retaliation.
With another low growl Mal suddenly sat back, one arm around her waist and the other hand tangling in her hair as he crushed her to him for a searing kiss, holding her body easily against his as he rose and then twisted, pinning her back to the wall behind her.
A thrill raced up her spine like lightning at Mal's sudden movement, the power behind his actions taking her breath away. Penny clung to him as he lifted her, locking her legs around his hips as her arms secured around his neck. She returned his kisses hungrily and with a defiant smirk against his lips she let one hand continue to comb through the soft hair at the nape of his neck. "Sometimes you treat me like I'm going to break, but I like this much better," she whispered between breaths.
He chuckled quietly and stroked a hand gently down her back. "Easy, girl," he murmured teasingly. "Keep talking like that and you might tempt me too far."
Penny hummed thoughtfully, leaning away slightly to look him in the eye with a doelike innocence. "There's no such thing as too far," she pointed out, not really seeing how anything between them could be a bad thing.
That more than anything else drew her innocence into sharp, focused clarity. Mal sighed, his body suddenly slumping against hers as he buried his face in the crook of her shoulder. "Sweet girl," he murmured, feathering kisses over her skin.
He knew he was dangerous. More than she realized. More than he wanted to tell her.
...Why had he let this happen?
"Penny..." He pulled back from her a bit, then sat up and shifted to the edge of the bed. Running a hand through his hair, he huffed out a sharp breath through his nose.
She hummed happily through the kisses, holding him close and not realizing that something was changing in him.
Her face fell as he untangled himself and moved away, letting herself fall back gently in a pile of sprawled legs. It left Penny thinking she might have upset him if he didn't want to be near her anymore. She thought they'd been having a good moment but she didn't understand how it had changed so quickly.
Penny collected herself and moved to kneel beside him, cautiously setting her hand to his shoulder and hoping he wouldn't shove her away. "Mal? What's wrong? Did I- Are you angry with me?" she asked incredulously, brows narrowed in disbelief.
"No, of course not." He tried to force a smile, but it was stiff and didn't last long. "Look, Penny, I-" He sighed and stood from the bed. "I should...go. You should get some rest."
He wasn't saying what but Penny could sense something was wrong, something had changed. It hurt to realize he was trying to keep it from her, whatever it was. With a sad, worried frown she let her hand trail down from his shoulder along his arm as he stood. She gently clasped her fingers around his wrist, though, hoping she might be able to convince him to stay with some encouragement or at least explain what was on his mind.
"Please wait?" she asked sadly, glancing towards the door and lightly squeezing her fingers against his wrist. "You look- troubled. Tell me why at least? You can talk to me, you know...I won't be offended if it's my fault."
Mal glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, then away again quickly. He huffed out a sharp, tired sigh and ran his fingers through his hair, then reached up to lay his other hand over hers gripping his wrist.
"Sweetling, it isn't your fault. Really. I just..." Another sigh and he finally looked at her to give her a rueful smile. "C'mere." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her against his side, then leaned back on the bed. Alright, so he wasn't going to get too intimate- didn't mean they couldn't cuddle a bit, right?
That was cheating and he knew it, but he was finding it rather difficult to care.
"D'you know what my name means?" he asked abruptly, tilting his head to look down at her as he cautiously stroked his fingers through her hair.
Penny relaxed only just once he made contact again, wary of him leaving without any explanation of what was plaguing his thoughts. She eagerly wrapped an arm around his waist as he drew her closer, tucking herself against him as he returned to the bed though she still stared at him with wide, questioning eyes. She shook her head gently and leaned into his touch, enjoying the small comfort even though it did nothing to truly soothe her nerves or calm her worries.
"What does it mean?" she asked quietly, idly drawing meaningless shapes against his shoulder and side with light fingertips. She was wary of where that question might lead, quietly believing that he was just trying to distract her from having to share any truths about himself or what he was feeling.
He chuckled a little bitterly. "Malcolm. Ill-born. A name people used to give children they didn't want, or thought would bring misfortune."
He sighed and kissed the crown of her head, wishing that holding her so close didn't set his blood on fire. Why couldn't he just hold someone? "It's...unfortunately rather fitting, I suppose," he murmured after a moment. No looking at her, he continued to card his fingers through her hair.
"Pretty Penny...do you have any idea how dangerous I am?" The words were barely a whisper, just a breath given shape.
Penny frowned at his explanation, shaking her head gently in silent disagreement. Her idle touches slowed and then stopped altogether as she brought her arms around him for a hug.
She lied there quietly as his voice grew softer with every word he spoke, her untrained ears straining to hear him. A heaviness filled her chest to hear that he called himself dangerous again. He'd given her no reason to think he was before, never harmed her.
"You haven't brought me misfortune," she whispered, smiling sadly against his shoulder and briefly squeezing him closer in a hug she was refusing to let go. "Tell me why you feel you're so dangerous, Mal. Has something happened?"
Another bitter chuckle. "Fire is always dangerous, Penny. It- it won't be tamed. It doesn't matter what you do."
He clenched his eyes shut, but his hands were gentle as he stroked her back. "I...move around a lot, and there's a reason for it. I thought it might be different here, with you. I mean, I'm sort of stuck." He smiled wryly. "I thought that might...help."
It didn't. It obviously didn't. Gods, he just wanted to roll them over and claim her, the heat in his blood nearly blotting out common sense. But it was the heat that terrified him. He stuck to one night stands for a reason- what if he hurt her?
She smiled sadly as she listened to him speak, though his gentle touches were encouraging and she kept her arms wrapped around him in a hug as they lie there. Somehow it felt important to stay connected in the moment, but she felt more and more guilty as he spoke for having trapped him with her magic as accidental as it had been.
"I'm sorry for all this mess," she mumbled into his shoulder with a huff, biting back tears that threatened to spill. She didn't want him to see her cry over it when it was entirely her fault he was stuck. "I didn't want to tame your fire, I just...liked what we had together." But she felt so selfish for even saying that, and her chest started to hurt as she thought about how he might have been miserable all along and biting his tongue. "I'm sorry... you're probably so unhappy here, huh?"
Mal gritted his teeth. Damn, why couldn't he explain this properly? "Sweet thing, no," he murmured, kissing her temple. "I'm not unhappy here. I actually like it here. I like you, I like Kura. But..."
He sighed and shook his head, trying to figure out how he could explain this in a way she would understand. "Remember when we saw Da, and he kept-- well, making jokes about my...history with women?" Even as the words left his mouth he winced. "Penny, there's a reason I'm...like that. I mean, besides the obvious." He smirked a little sheepishly.
"What I am, it can be...dangerous. I just-- I never wanted anyone to get hurt."
Penny nodded along as she listened to his explanation, gradually calming down with his reassurances. It seemed logical as a whole, but she didn't understand why it was suddenly so important for him to remind her about it, why he was so afraid of himself.
"I know you don't want to hurt anyone. You're a good person, Mal, you have a good heart." She brought a hand around to rest her palm against his chest, rubbing her thumb against him in idle circles. "I'm not afraid of you. I know you're different," she reminded him gently, tipping her head back to kiss his chin.
"Penny..." He sighed and closed his eyes, tilting his head away from her slightly. "Different and dangerous are two different things. I'm sort of worried you've only realized that I'm one."
His jaw clenched and he dropped his eyes. "Sometimes-- sometimes it just doesn't matter that I don't want to hurt people. They get hurt anyway."
Penny fixed her eyes sternly on him, breathing a weary sigh at his explanation. It was one thing to understand, but apparently it wasn't good enough when she didn't want to put that understanding into clear words. It wasn't good enough to know that at a basal level she should be cautious with a phoenix without knowing all the deeds of his past. Perhaps he really did need to hear it from her lips.
"I do realize it. I do understand, Mal. I could get hurt...you're dangerous...and that doesn't change my mind. Everything has risks, but I would still rather be here with you." Penny sighed, giving his chest a gentle pat before letting her hand slip away to rest on his arm as she thought back to what had interrupted them before. She guessed calmly, "...you think you will go too far? Push me too far?"
Mal shook his head, biting back a growl. "Maybe. I don't know. I'd like to think you trust me enough to tell me if you're uncomfortable, but..."
He huffed and rubbed at the back of his neck again. "What if something happens and I lose control while-- while we're close?" he demanded. "I could really hurt you, Penny."
"I would tell you if that happened," she tried to assure him firmly, "I do trust you and I'd like to think we could talk about it instead of--" His question threw her off her train of thought, though, her cheeks going a touch pink at his directness. She didn't want to think about something that had brought her such pleasure turning ugly.
"...that was always a possibility anyway," Penny reminded him gently. "Honestly...I don't know. I'd like to think I could stop you with my magic, but we both know how well I have a handle on that."
She sighed and scooted closer, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. "Mal, I would rather take that chance and be close. I liked what we had before, but if you don't ever want that with me again I understand."
"Penny." He huffed and shot her a look sidelong. "Stop that. This isn't about you, it's about me."
He sighed and dragged a hand down his face. "Look, the bottom line is-- I'm not willing to risk hurting you for-- for this."
She flinched at that, curling in more to keep her head down as she dropped her hands away from him. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean- I thought you wanted to hear my thoughts." His mind seemed made up, though, and she wasn't sure what else she could do to convince him it was alright, that there was no reason to worry the way that he was.
"I'll respect your decision, I'm sorry if I've made you uncomfortable tonight." Penny rolled to turn her back to him, fussing her bottom lip and quietly gathering up her dress and underthings to carefully start wriggling back into with a sharp sting of shame.
"Wait."
Mal's heart clenched guiltily. Gods, he was so bad at this. He touched Penny's shoulder gently, stopping her from dressing. "Penny, I did want to hear what you think. As much as this-- this scares me, it's not really just me here. We're...sorta in this together."
Cheeks red, he glanced down and muttered, "When I said...this...I meant--" He blushed a little deeper and cleared his throat. "It-- it doesn't have to be, ah...what we've been doing. We can be...together...with a lot less risk to you."
He sighed and dropped his hand. "I'm sorry. I must seem like I'm flip-flopping all over the place, I'm just...bad at talking about this, I guess," he grumbled. "Penny, I care about you. A lot. And I don't wanna hurt you. I want you to be aware of the-- the risks that come with being with...someone like me."
He sighed again and shrugged almost despondently. "But if...if that's something you really want-- you're sure you want-- I can...make it work. It won't necessarily be like before, but I...want you to be happy," he mumbled finally.
Penny paused at his touch, keeping the clothes balled on her lap as she cast a dejected look at him over her shoulder. His bumbling had her more confused than anything at first, not quite understanding his vague implications.
"I don't want to ask you to do anything you don't want yourself, Mal," she reminded him uneasily, not entirely convinced that "making it work" would still make him happy.
She finally half-turned to sit facing him again, setting the bundle of clothing aside and reaching out to slip her hand to join his own. As confused as she was by all of it, though, it still sent a thrill up her back to be reminded that he did care and wanted to see her happy.
"I'm sorry...I don't think I'm following. What would be...less risky?"
"Well..." He cleared his throat, face very red now. "Maybe not-- not right now." He chuckled awkwardly. "I think I've ruined the mood a bit. But, um..."
He glanced up at her through the hair falling in front of his face and tried for a small smile. "Maybe, next time-- if you want there to be a next time... Just, y'know. Lemme take care of you..."
Penny studied him with open curiosity, not understanding why he seemed so nervous and no closer at all to grasping his meaning in her inexperience. Frowning thoughtfully she moved to lace their fingers together while reaching with her free hand to brush his hair back away from his face.
"There will be a next time," she said, smiling shyly with that faint blush again. "Just...I'm sorry, I don't think I'm following?"
Uff.
She could never make this easy, could she? Well...he supposed it really was as much his fault as hers.
"Maybe we can talk about it later?" he offered weakly with an apologetic little smile. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her against his side.
"...You cold?" he murmured after several moments, remembering quite suddenly that neither of them was wearing much. Which didn't bother him, of course, but Penny didn't have the same internal fire.
Penny tried not to make it visible on her face but her eyes darkened and her shoulders slumped slightly as he denied her an explanation again, silently cursing and kicking herself for being so naive and never getting herself out enough to be able to learn such matters on her own. Now she had a teacher who was unwilling to teach.
She nodded and let her hands slip away from him, shuffling closer to lean against the warmth of his shoulder and wrap her arms loosely around his chest instead. "Do you ever feel too warm?" she mumbled.
He chuckled softly and kissed her temple. "Nah. I could sit in the middle of a forest fire and be perfectly comfy."
Not that he was speaking from experience. At all.
The reminder made him wince, but he quickly shook it off and held Penny a little tighter, reclining slowly back against the bed. He shifted so he cradled the girl against his chest, tucking her head up under his chin. "You should get some sleep," he urged softly.
Penny huffed quietly at his example, not at all doubting that he could do such a thing. She relaxed back with him, putting up no fight for being adjusted and just curled in close against his side instead.
She fussed at her bottom lip, turning her head to peek up at him with guilt. "I don't know that I can...my mind is awake," she admitted.
"Well..." He hummed quietly in thought, brushing his fingers through her hair. "Hmm. You wanna count sheep or something?"
She snorted softly at that, smiling and trying to ignore the pleasant tingling his touch elicited. "That doesn't work... You can go if you didn't want to stay the night," she reminded him.
"Hey now." He smiled and stroked her back gently. "As much as I know I should, no one said I wanted to leave." He kissed the top of her head. "Really, get some sleep. I'll make sure I'm outta here before Kura wakes up."
Penny giggled softly, pressing close and nodding against his chest. "Not like she can kick you out if we were caught," she pointed out, smiling to herself and shaking her head gently. "But probably wise, she would be annoyed if she saw us."
She was fairly worn out, though, despite her racing thoughts. The quiet and peace of the moment was wearing on her resolve, her eyes closing with a soft sigh as she nuzzled into Mal's warmth.
Feeling her start to relax, Mal's smile turned a little crooked and he stroked her back rhythmically. Almost unconsciously, he started to hum under his breath.
She was defenseless to it, the soft sound soothing her to sleep little by little. Her hands curled loosely against his chest as she became more relaxed, her face nestling against the crook of his neck as she drifted off.
Pleased that she finally seemed to have fallen asleep, Mal allowed himself to drift into unconsciousness with her, his head lulling back onto the pillow with a soft breath.
Without even realizing the night was passing her by Penny had slept well into the morning. Kura had bustled about taking care of morning chores before she came to rap at her door at midday. "Penelope? Are you awake?"
The younger mage startled awake at the sound, eyes blowing wide as she scrambled to sit up while her heart did its best attempt at escaping her chest. "Sorry- ...Sorry, is it late?"
"It is if you're going to join the living at all today," the older woman joked, chuckling softly and leaving her with that as she returned to the main room.
Penny cursed under her breath, hurrying to get up and dressed and attempt to tame her mane of hair. She needed to at least look put together before facing her teacher.
Mal, having curled his body around Penny's as they slept, woke with a start when the knock came, eyes going wide, and silently scrambled off the bed to crouch beside it. When Kura didn't enter he sighed and stood cautiously, blinking.
"Oops," he muttered under his breath. Seemed he'd have to sneak back to his own room while the older woman was distracted.
Penny snorted at the dry verbal reminder of their predicament, shaking her head gently as she did up the buttons on her frock in a hurry as though she half-expected Kura to come back to check on her.
"At least she didn't try to wake you up," she whispered, eyes crinkling in amusement that he'd managed to stay the whole night again.
"Ha ha," Mal replied with a droll scowl. "Just...keep her busy for a few minutes so I can get down the hall, would you?" he muttered as he set about pulling his breeches on as quickly as he could manage.
"Mhm," she agreed with playful cheeriness, crossing the room to head for the door once she was ready and giving his cheek a quick peck as she went by.
She left the door cracked behind her, holding her breath until she caught sight of Kura. Blessedly the older woman had her back to the hall as she sat in her chair and Penny quickly made her way out to greet her, leaning over to hug her from behind. "Sorry, was reading a lot last night," she mumbled, not entirely lying with that.
She settled her head over her shoulder as if trying to make out what her own teacher was reading, trying to maintain a casual barrier so she might not turn and catch Mal.
"Won't be useful to us if you're too tired, Penny," she reminded her gently, adding teasingly, "There's breakfast stuff in the kitchen if you want it for lunch."
Mal waited a moment, then darted from her room to his, carefully closing the door behind him. Huffing a quiet sigh of relief, he quickly changed into a new set of clothes before stumbling out into the kitchen, rubbing at his eyes.
"Morning," he yawned, not having to fake it at all.
Kura tensed when the quiet sound of a door closing down the hall was not immediately followed by footsteps. Penny felt it in her teacher before she'd even turned her head to listen and it was all she could do to just stand there and pretend she didn't already know what was going through her mind.
As Penny saw Mal out of the corner of her eye she slipped her arms away from Kura and darted for the kitchen with her head down and her shoulders tense to busy herself with fixing something up for them.
"Good morning, Mal," Kura greeted him evenly, though she was studying him pointedly now for the way Penny had reacted -or rather, not- to the phoenix's entrance. "Didn't sleep well?" she guessed.
He shrugged, evidently unconcerned with Penny's behavior. "Slept fine, actually. Just taking a while to wake up," he said with a crooked smirk, stepping into the kitchen.
He spared the younger mage a cursory, "Morning," before moving to take a seat at the table.
Penny glanced at him over she shoulder, smiling briefly before her eyes met Kura's over his head. She couldn't hide the tinge of guilt on her face, but she looked away to turn and bring a plate of toast and fruit to the table to share between them. "Hungry?" she mumbled, plopping herself down to slouch back in her chair and stair up at the ceiling as she munched quietly, silently willing Kura to not broach the subject whatever was on her mind.
Kura let it lie for the moment, humming in acknowledgement and reopening her book to read quietly while watching them out of the corner of her eye.
"Always," the phoenix laughed, snatching up a piece of toast to munch on.
"So. What's the plan for today?" he asked after several moments of quiet. "More research?" There was no hiding the exhaustion in his voice, though he smiled through it.
"Most likely," Penny agreed with an apologetic smile. "I was thinking we might try some...tests outside, as long as the weather stays good."
"Alright," he replied with an easy shrug. "What were you thinking, exactly?"
She chuckled anxiously, her cheeks going a touch pink as she thought back to the notes she'd seen. "A, um...teleportation spell? It's short-distance, but...maybe if we put you far enough away it'll stick?"
She thought she'd heard a quiet snort from Kura across the room but the older woman seemed fully engrossed in whatever it was she was reading.
A small shiver of trepidation ran down his back at that, but he hid it quickly. "Yeah, okay. Worth a try, right?"
"That's what I thought," she agreed, a genuine smile there for his acceptance of it. Perhaps he didn't really have much choice in the matter, but he certainly could've been making things much more difficult if he'd had a mind for it.
Finishing up with her food she stood and bounced down the hall with a quick, "I'll just grab my notes," cast over her shoulder.
Mal watched her go with a small smirk and a shake of his head before returning to his breakfast, munching slowly.
Penny took her time getting her papers together, gathering the books they referenced and taking the whole armful along with her back down the hall from the study. "Should keep us busy at least," she mumbled in apology, already heading for the front door but pausing to look back at Mal as if to silently ask if he was ready.
"Hey, I'm up for it." He smiled and got to his feet with a long, languid stretch. "Ready when you are," he said with a smile as he moved to follow her.
Her eyes brightened slightly before settling into a warmth of gratefulness. Turning away she shouldered her way through the door and trudged out towards the more open valley beyond the hill. Open space would be good, the last thing she needed was to bury him in a tree or something, not that he'd have any difficulty burning his way out of one.
"This is probably good," she puffed, grunting as she set down the books in careful alignment so that they'd all weigh down a bit of her papers. She set her hands to her waist, straightening her back and just trying to catch her breath for a moment without looking like a wreck.
Mal, following a few paces behind, chuckled as he came up beside her. "You okay there?" He teased lightly, reaching up to ruffle her hair gently.
She whined for the way he managed to muss it up, ducking under his arm to shake her head enough to get her hair resettled.
"Yeah," she huffed, panting softly as she got settled to sit down and pull a tome open on her lap while she looked over her notes and turned to the right passage. "I'm curious if this will...let me move you beyond the boundary or if you'll go right to the end of it. If it does... maybe it could break it?"
Mal shrugged and settled down beside her, reading over her shoulder. "I mean, it's worth a shot. What's the worst that could happen, right?"
"Exactly," she agreed, happy he seemed willing to try though she supposed he didn't really have much choice in the matter and kind of needed to have at least a little faith in her. After a little more searching she paused, tracing her fingertips beneath the text she'd found and mumbling its explanation under her breath with a furrowed brow, "Think of the destination."
She glanced at Mal, studying him for a moment as she tried to think of the right picture to place in her mind. Where did she want him to go? Away, but not too far away. Penny wanted him to be able to fly free without forcing herself upon his back as a passenger to make it possible.
Turning slightly she looked down the hill towards the soft sloping of grass at the bottom that she was certain would be well out of their tether range. She brought her free hand up and splayed her fingers against the back of his head, nestling between his locks to gently press against his scalp.
Inhaling a shaky breath the young mage closed her eyes and tried to picture again what had just been before her and place Mal within it. She was struggling, though, her focus shifting rapidly between picturing him in his human form in the grass and his phoenix form in the sky above.
As she murmured the words of the incantation she could not see the flash of white light that pulsed out through her fingers but she knew it had worked to some degree when she no longer felt Mal beneath her hand or his weight beside her on the ground. For a moment a sense of serenity enveloped her, a faint, shimmering light still surrounding her body as she slowly opened her eyes again. Just as she did a sudden, overwhelming sense of dread overcame her as her heart began to pound in her chest and breathing became tight and high in her throat.
Inexplicable tears fell across her cheeks and Penny clenched her eyes shut again just as soon as they'd opened while shaking her head furiously. "Come back," she called softly, her book and papers forgotten and falling away from her as she clutched blindly at the tension coiling tightly in her chest.
Mal felt the magic tugging at him and closed his eyes, bracing for the teleportation. He really wasn't a fan of this, it always made him dizzy.
An instant before the spell took hold, he felt something...snap. Something in their connection that suddenly rose up and screamed at him that this was a bad idea. His eyes flew open and he tried to warn, "Penny-!"
But then it was too late.
He hadn't moved far, just down the hill, just outside of their range. He could still see Penny through the fuzzy haze of leftover magic.
At least, for a brief instant.
Because then pain whited out his vision and he collapsed with a sharp, agonized cry. He could hear Penny calling him, but he quite literally was paralyzed with the suffocating force of pain and magic that he didn't understand. His breath came in sharp, desperate pants, punctuated by gasping groans as he tried and failed to struggle to his feet and claw his way back in range of their bond.
Where hers was an emotional response Mal's was physical yet again. Everything happened so fast and the sound of his cry had her scrambling to her feet with a panicked sound and stumbling her way closer down the hill, discomfort entirely forgotten in the face of his pain.
"Mal!" she yelled down, sprinting the short distance to him. The stretch of their bond faded the closer she got and released her from the strain that had gripped her so fiercely, but Penny hardly noticed with the way he was struggling before her eyes.
Still in tears she fell to her knees, reaching out to pull him close with shaky hands. The brief wonder at successfully using her magic was completely abandoned. "Gods, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm here- Please... I'm so sorry, Mal," Penny cried, shaking her head in shame and disbelief.
Moving purely on instinct, Mal grabbed for her the moment she was within reach, dragging himself closer with a groan and burying his face in her lap. Several hot tears escaped his clenched eyes and he shook like a leaf in a gale.
If he'd been even remotely in a normal frame of mind, he'd have been mortified. As it was, he was so relieved by the respite from pain that her presence brought that he just clung to her, shivering.
"Don't- don't leave," he begged quietly, still gasping slightly as his breathing gradually began to return to normal.
Penny bit at her lip, nodding furiously as she bowed over him to hold him close against her. She reached to smooth a shaky hand along his back to try to comfort him, but she felt guilty for even trying with the way that his body trembled against her. She'd seen what their last test with Adrian's help had done to him and while it was not nearly as bad as before she felt awful for inflicting any pain on him at all.
"I won't," she murmured, voice thick as she stifled the cry that hung in her throat. Instead, silent tears kept spilling down her cheeks.
"I'm sorry," she repeated quietly once she was better able to speak clearly. "I didn't know- I didn't think that would happen again."
"It's...okay," he lied breathlessly. "I'm...I'm okay." His eyes closed and he couldn't find the strength to open them again.
Penny nodded and lifted a hand to wipe at her cheeks, badly wanting to believe he was telling the truth. She kept a hand at his shoulder, lightly running her fingers along his back still in an effort to comfort him while soothing her own nerves.
"I should get you to Kura," she murmured, frowning as she tilted her head to watch him. "Let her take a look at you."
The shaking gradually seemed to be dying down, but Mal still wasn't all that inclined to move. "Ah...sure."
Slowly, he tried to sit up, then collapsed back to his hands and knees with another groan of pain. "Just...gimme a minute..."
Penny winced as she watched his struggle, shaking her head automatically and setting a hand to his shoulder to try to stop him. She cast a worried look back up the hill, the cottage she called home so close but feeling so far.
"Wait," she murmured, leaning up to hug him around his shoulders. The young mage whispered a few words of a minor healing spell as she ran her hands along his back again. She'd often used it for scrapes and bruises, though she had no idea if it might help him at all when the source of his pain had been magical.
Mal drew in yet another ragged breath, then let it out in a soft sigh, turning his face into her lap. He could feel her magic wash over him in a cool wave, but he wasn't quite sure if it was really helping or if the pain was simply fading naturally, as it had before.
"I'm alright," he mumbled again, though he made no move to so much as raise his head.
Penny just shook her head with a small noise of disagreement, uncertain if the spell was truly working for him at all but desperate to keep trying. She repeated it over and over, smoothing her hands along his back in slow circles.
Eventually she stopped, though, hands stilling but a bit shaky as they rested against him. She felt weak, as though such minor use of magic had sapped her energy for a moment and that thought startled her. She had to be stronger.
"I'm so sorry," she told him again, heart heavy as she bowed to rest her head against him.
"It's not your fault," Mal managed to mutter, eyes still clenched shut. "I...told you to try. Not your fault."
Incredibly slowly, he managed to push himself into a half seated position, though he still leaned heavily against Penny for support.
She frowned in disagreement, shaking her head gently but not speaking a word of it. There would be time for it later, for the moment she needed to focus on him.
"Take it easy," Penny murmured, scooping her arms under his own to support him better even though he was quite a bit of dead weight. "Did that, um...feel the same as last time?"
"Y-yeah." He winced and scrubbed at his eyes, hoping that might relieve some of the pressure behind his eyes. "Same thing, just...multiplied by about a hundred." He tried for a wry chuckle, but wasn't quite sure if he managed it.
Penny's eyes darkened with shame, her lips tightening into a worried line as she watched him. "So it was worse," she mused, shaking her head in disbelief. "I'm sorry, I'll think of something else to try... Don't want to keep hurting you."
Mal smiled weakly and reached up to cup her cheek, even as his head lulled toward her shoulder. The pain was fading, which he was grateful for, but he felt weak as a newborn fawn.
"Don't blame yourself," he muttered. "I agreed to it. We had to try."
Penny reached up to cover his hand with her own, leaning into his touch a bit though she kept a watchful eye on him. He still looked to be struggling, much as he was talking with her and putting on a happy face.
"Well thank you...for not hating me at least," she huffed quietly. "Just, I don't want it to happen again. What if it was even worse? What if you--" She couldn't bring herself to say it. Death so young in a powerful phoenix was far too terrible a fate for finding himself bound to her through no fault of his own.
With a heavy sigh she leaned closer to press a gentle kiss to his temple. "I'll find another way," she murmured adamantly.
"Shh, shh." Mal tilted his head to press his brow against her temple, wrapping an arm around her waist. "It's okay, Penny, you didn't know. It's alright."
She couldn't help but lean into him a little, angry with herself for seeking comfort from the man she should have been comforting better.
"How can you be so understanding?" Penny asked quietly, slightly incredulous and smiling sadly against him as she breathed a shaky sigh.
He smiled crookedly. "Maybe I've just got a weakness for a pretty face," he teased softly. "Come on. We should head back inside, Kura may start to worry soon."
Penny nodded, tilting her head to glance up at the cottage perched at the top of the hill beyond the pile of abandoned books. She'd have to come back for them later once he was feeling better, or at least send Kura to fetch them. "Let me help you," she insisted, carefully getting her footing and locking her arms around his chest as she tried to stand him up again.
He thought about arguing for a moment, then quickly decided against it. "Yeah. Thanks." Shakily, he managed to get to his feet, one arm looped around Penny's shoulders.
Penny did her best to steady him once he was up, one arm around his waist as her hand laid flat against his chest as though that alone might delay him from falling if he stumbled.
"Tell me if you need to stop or anything, okay? Let's take this nice and slow, don't want you to hurt yourself," she murmured gently, probably treating him a little too delicately as she stepped off to make the slow climb back up the hill.
"I'm fine." That was obviously a lie. He winced and corrected, "I'll be fine. It's already fading, promise."
He shot her a quick, lopsided grin and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze-- though that was partly because he was leaning on her so heavily.
Penny only rolled her eyes, giving a small huff of concern as they shuffled along. “You know I see right through you, right?” she muttered to herself, shaking her head in disappointment.
She caught sight of Kura through a window and attempted to flag her down, grateful when her mentor turned to see them and rushed to crack the door open for them to get inside. “My word, Penny… What did you do to poor Mal?”
“Teleported him… It worked, but- Not so well for him,” she admitted with a wince. “Could you get the books outside? He needs to rest, don’t want to drag him back out there.”
Kura just nodded distractedly, her lips drawing into a tight line of displeasure as she shot the phoenix an apologetic look. Her earlier assumptions about him were forgotten as she looked him over with pity. “Of course, dear,” she murmured, waving them off as she stepped past them into the grass. “Get him settled and I’ll bring some tea and see what I can do.”
Penny sighed with relief, guiding him down the hall and shouldering her way into his room. “I have a feeling I’m going to get a scolding for that later,” she admitted with a small smile, shuffling forward until they were right beside the bed so he wouldn’t have to walk alone.
"Hey now." He mock frowned and pulled her a little closer— though he wound up mostly just leaning against her more firmly. "I'll protect you from the scary mage," he murmured with a lopsided smile.
Penny snorted a small laugh for that, relieved he was at least feeling well enough to get back to his playful self. She hugged him closer for a moment, not bothered by the way he was leaning on her. "Oh yeah? How are you going to protect me? Be my meat shield?" she teased, giving him a parting squeeze as she tried to nudge him to sit at the edge of the bed.
"Mmph." He allowed her to shepherd him onto the bed, sighing quietly with relief. The sharp agony was almost completely gone now, replaced with a dull ache-- which thankfully also seemed to be fading.
He was certainly tired though.
"I can do meat shield," he mumbled. "You seen my real form? I'm the shieldiest meat-- meatiest shield--- whatever."
Penny laughed softly under her breath, shaking her head as she climbed up to sit beside him. He seemed steady enough on his own, thankfully. At least he hadn't fallen over when she'd set him down.
"Sorry, did that mess with your head a bit?" she teased, reaching up to lightly tap two fingers to his temple.
"You hush." He mock glowered at her. "My head is fine. My all of me is fine. See?" He gestured to himself-- though doing so made him wince a bit. "All fine."
The young mage sighed and rolled her eyes at that but her features softened into a caring smile as she gently patted at his shoulder. "I'll feel better when I can at least see you walking again," she quipped mildly. The soft sound of footsteps coming through the doorway caught her attention though, and she flashed her teacher a grateful smile for the tray of tea she'd brought.
Kura eyed her critically for a moment but she said nothing until she'd set the tray down at the bedside table and turned to offer a steaming cup to Mal with a more concerned look.
"Did she hurt you badly, Mal?" the older mage asked calmly, eyes focused on him and ignoring the way Penny hung her head at that.
Mal frowned a bit at that. "She didn't hurt me," he replied stiffly. "The-- bond or whatever did."
He was about to answer that he was fine, really-- but he hesitated. Playing down what stretching the connection did to him hadn't exactly been productive.
Sighing, he dropped his eyes and muttered, "It's like...fire. Everywhere. Burning. I've...never been burned before, I didn't know it was like that."
Penny tensed at his explanation, slowly lifting her head to stare at him and gobsmacked that he hadn't thought to tell her about that little detail any earlier. He didn't seem physically burned at least, but that probably did nothing to actually help the magical sensation of pain their bond seemed to create.
Kura hummed thoughtfully, glancing between them curiously for a moment and taking in her student's look of surprise. "It still doesn't harm you, Penny?"
The younger mage's eyes widened for a moment before softening with guilt as she shook her head. "No, I... It just feels like he's in danger, like I need to stop him before something bad happens," she murmured, slipping her hand under Mal's arm to loosely link them while gently grasping at his forearm.
Kura offered an understanding smile as she looked between them again. "I'm glad it wasn't exactly her doing, then... I suppose you'd prefer cold tea, hm?" she chuckled.
He smiled a little weakly at her. "Yeah, that'd be great actually. Thanks."
It was rather difficult to look at Penny. He knew he should have been more straightforward, but he hadn't wanted to worry her.
Kura nodded in understanding, extending her hands to offer the steaming cup to Penny instead. She took it distractedly and managed a few sips as she silently watched her teacher, the older mage effortlessly swirling a faint cloud of shimmering blue around another cup of tea on the tray with a flick of her wrist.
Once the liquid was cooled she turned to offer it to the phoenix while her eyes trained thoughtfully on Penny. As much as she wanted to allow her a learn on her own she knew her student had a direct effect on his life. They'd been bonded together quite a while already with little progress, and uncertainty warred in her eyes for a moment as her resolve wavered.
"Penelope... You have great potential, my dear. Your bond is not something to just rip apart, you must treat it with care or things like this will keep happening," she warned gently, picking up the last still-steaming cup to sip as she lost herself in thought for a moment.
"Focus on strengthening what you already carry inside," Kura cautioned. "The power to break your bond will come naturally when your magic isn't so...volatile, I think."
Penny nodded automatically as she listened, a chill causing her to shiver a bit for the sudden seriousness of her tone. Gods, she wouldn't forgive herself if she caused him any permanent harm. She eyed him out of the corner of her eye, half-expecting Mal to be angry at her question, "You don't mind...waiting, do you? That could be a while..."
He smiled a little wryly. "Do I really have a choice?"
The moment the words were out of his mouth he wished he could take them back, wincing and dropping his eyes. Oh, well done, Mal, very well done.
Kura raised a brow at that but Penny's eyes darkened slightly with sadness as she stared at him for a moment, offering him an acknowledging huff as she looked away to sip at her tea instead. "I'm sorry... I know it's been a while already," she murmured.
Her teacher looked between them for a moment, feeling a bit bad for needing to remind her student but not wanting to see any harm come to them for her efforts. She offered an encouraging smile, though, briefly reaching out to squeeze Penny's shoulder affectionately. "It would help if you didn't focus on your books and spells so much. Raw power... Strengthening yourself would serve you much better," she reminded gently.
The younger mage just shook her head stubbornly at that, her lower lip drawn into a bit of a pout. "But I don't-"
"I wouldn't encourage you if I didn't see it in you, Penny. Just because you can't yet sense it doesn't mean it isn't there. You need to find it for his sake, though."
That got the apprentice to pause and think, brow furrowing as she cast a thoughtful look at Mal that gradually turned apologetic. "...I'm sorry it burned you," she mumbled after a few moments of silence.
"Don't apologize." Mal reached out to touch her arm gently. "I agreed to try, this isn't all on you. We'll just...have to be more careful from now on, I guess."
Penny nodded in agreement, leaning into him slightly and feeling a little better for having it out between them. "And could you tell me from now on? If something hurts you don't need to hide it from me." She wasn't quite able to keep a whisper of disappointment from her tone.
"Yeah." He sighed and let his cheek come to rest against the top of her head. "I will. I just...didn't want you worrying about it too much."
Kura eyed the comfortable way they sat together, saying nothing but silently coming to her own conclusions again behind her tea. Her eyes softened though, smiling to herself and moving to take the tray and step back out into the hall without a word to leave them to their discussion.
Penny eyed her, momentarily confused but grateful she at least wasn't going to be scolded anymore over what had happened. She breathed a heavy sigh and tucked against Mal a little more. "Do you think she's right about me?" she asked quietly, idly rubbing a hand against his back.
"About your magic?" He shrugged. "I'm not an expert, Pen, but I think you're too hard on yourself, certainly.
Penny breathed a heavy sigh for that, nodding and remaining quiet for a long moment in thought. As much as it went against her desire to learn a solution and then apply it she thought it best to listen to her teacher. Not listening sooner had already caused Mal pain.
"I need to try," she murmured, looking rather somber for a moment before quickly swapping to a smile as she turned her head to look up at him. "Maybe once you're feeling better, I don't want to push you too much in one day. Don't wanna break you."
"Yeah." He smiled a little wryly. "For once I'm not gonna argue that one with you," he chuckled, rubbing at the back of his neck.