The scent of warm ocean air could be found everywhere, outside on the streets, inside inns and taverns, just about anywhere you found yourself. The scenery was beautiful - a paradise one should be lucky enough to call home. The women. Oh! The women. The women were beautiful, each more than the last. There was something special to be said about every single one of them, and the ritualistic tattoo they bore from adulthood made them all the more exotic. The atmosphere was warm and uplifting, pride twinkling in the townfolk's eyes as they welcomed you with adoration. Well, for most. The locals knew of Dinny and his crew all too well, and showed obvious disdain for their little group despite some of the members being born and raised there. It was good to be home.
Dinny joined his comrades at the corner table in the tavern they occupied, a pint of ale in one hand and one of his daggers in the other. Flopping down to his seat, he drove the dagger into the table for balance (and attention), drawing quick, irritated glances from the other patrons. "Alright, you scumbags!" he said cheerfully. "Let's get this thing started!"
The table snickered. "Hold on there, Din," another man of Thanti descent cut in. "You know we have to talk about what just happened. We all saw you."
The young bandit scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly. It was true. He may have attempted to court the woman at the bar, and he may have struck out. Badly. "I have no idea what you are talking about, Spade," he replied sarcastically.
"Struck out again," a larger Yoreiqi man mused, taking a sip of his drink.
"Oh, fuckin' fuck off Jarvis! Like you could do any better!"
"That's enough," the obvious ringleader interjected with a bang of his fist on the table. "While I enjoy talking about young Dinny's failed attempts at a love life just as much as the rest of ya, we got work ta' do."
"Right," the woman of the group, Regen, joined in. "So what's the plan, Boss?"
The boss, otherwise known as Rata, leaned in. "You know the plan. You'll have me say it again?" he asked in a gruff whisper. "Fine! You at least know the target? The royal family's flesh and blood, o'course! Cousin Ruby! Her ship sets sail for Connlaoth first thin' in the morning-"
"At least she thinks she will be going to Connlaoth. That's where we come in," the last member of the group, Markus, chimed in. "We've done the research. This woman does not know the crew operating her vessel. So, we are going to be the crew."
"D-Don't interrupt!" the boss barked. "That's right. We're gonna sneak aboard that vessel before anyone gets there, and take out the crew. From there, we're gonna take that broad-"
"We're going to take her and all of her valuables all the way to Serendipity," Dinny said with a confident grin.
"Damn tired of those interruptions-"
"Oh I just love to see you flustered old man!"
Dinny and Rata exchanged glares, one a bit more playful than the others. Regen extended her arms across the table as if to separate them. "Easy, boys," she said sweetly. "Let's get back to it. Boss, what are our roles?"
"Right," Rata nodded. "Roles. Regen, you will play host to our guest. Markus, you will steer the ship. That leaves you three on standby in case anything happens. One thing is for sure, keep Dinny as far away from the girl as possible. Din! Are you listening?!"
He wasn't. While the boss was yappin' away, a pretty young barmaid passed by their table - catching Din's eye. He stumbled out of his chair and followed her cautiously. "Hey..." he said innocently. "Have you ever been on a ship before?"
It was good to be home.
The barmaid paused, a tray of empty mugs balanced easily on one hand. "Only once, ser," she said with a small smile, eyes slightly downcast so she could peek up at him through her lashes. Her voice held a think Zantaric accent, evidently not yet dulled by her time on the islands. "Round about ten years ago, when ah came to Yoreiq."
She brushed a lock of ebony hair behind her ear, smiling slightly as she gave him a sidelong, bashful glance. "Why d'ya ask, ser?"
Whoa.
Whoa. Whoa. Wow!
A positive response? From a beautiful woman? This was not something Din was expecting, not at the rate he had been going.
'I knew she'd be into me', he lied to himself.
"Wow," he replied with a cheeky smile. "I love your accent. In fact, it is probably my most favorite accent I have ever heard-"
"DIN!" Rata yelled out to his young bandit. "Quit your lollygagging and get back over here!"
Dinny shot his boss a mean glare. "I'M BUSY!" he yelled quickly. He returned his gaze to the woman before him and a smile returned to his face. "Sorry. Grandpas, you know? Anyway, before I was so rudely interrupted, we were talking about the ship."
He cupped his chin in his forefinger and thumb, stroking lightly as he considered what to say next. "As it turns out, I have a ship. How's about me and you go on a little cruise? We could leave as early as tomorrow morning! I can tell just by looking at you that you would loooooooove the open sea. I have a way about these things, you know."
Dinny was very bold.
The young man smiled, his comrades facepalmed, and the boss' angered face was flushed crimson.
Rose's eyes flicked from the man trying to sweet-talk her to his companions and back, small smile never slipping.
She'd heard enough of their plans to know that playing along for now would get her where she needed to be. Rumor was, one of Ruby's guards was a less than savory character- and he'd made enough enemies to get a hit out on him.
So she tossed her hair and rocked back on one heel, arching her back subtly to emphasize the way her wrapped sarong clung to her frame (a little tighter bunched in the back, but that couldn't be helped).
Men were so easy.
She flushed prettily and batted her eyes at him. "Well now, ser, ah- ah think ah really would like that," she enthused quietly, playing up her fake accent. "We'd hafta leave earleh though, ah got work round in the evenin'."
Dinny smiled brightly at her accepted invitation.
"That's great!" he said. His voice was sincerely excited, albeit a bit shocked. "We are going to board the ship a few minutes shy of dusk. You can meet me and my crew by the docks-"
He stopped, his eyes widening. The Canary Crew. He almost forgot about them. He placed one finger in the air. "Um. One moment, please."
He scurried back over to the table where his crew watched him, half-amused and half-annoyed. "Okay, guys, real quick," he started in a whisper as he leaned over the group.
"Strike out again?" Jarvis interrupted.
"Oh, you wish, jackass," Din snapped back with a triumphant grin. "I have a date. I'm going to take that beauty over there with us tomorrow. Gonna show her the open sea! Don't worry, I won't let her in on what we're actually doing. We will do the job, I'll have my date, and everyone will go home happy and pockets full. Easy peasy. Any objections?"
The table immediately groaned hearing his plan, some waving their arms in the air in disbelief.
"Din..." Spade muttered with a disappointed shake of his head.
"Are you fuckin' crazy, man?" Markus whispered back harshly.
"She's pretty cute, though," Regen chimed in. "I am impressed, Din. How do you plan to pull off this little stunt though? I heard her say she has to work in the evening. We're not going to be back anytime soon-"
"Well he hasn't thought that through now has he?" Markus cut back in, his voice raising. "Thinkin' with his dick like always!"
"Ah, let the lass come," Rata said firmly, finally voicing his opinion. The table instantly grew quiet, throwing puzzled looks at the older man. "Aye, I will be interested in how he pulls this shit off. May make for some much needed entertainment dur'n this trip. Just make sure to get the job done, boy."
Din nodded and gave the boss a thumbs up. "Thanks Pops," he said with a grin. "I knew you'd understand."
Turning on his heel, he began to walk back toward the woman before Rata could change his mind.
"Just one thing," Rata called out before Din could get too far. "Mess this up, and you're out. No exceptions."
Dinny stopped for only a moment, going over Rata's words in his head. Out. Out of the band. Well, no matter. That wasn't going to happen.
Rejoining the young woman's company, he gave her a quick smile. "We are all good, m'lady," he said with a playful bow. "I let the crew know that I'm bringing you along. We leave at dusk. You can meet me by the docks. Oh and before I forget-"
He extended his hand to the woman, offering a formal introduction. "My name is Din. You can call me Dinny, or Din. Hell, you can call me whatever you want," he said cheekily. "Your name?"
"M'name's Marian," she lied easily, giving him another sweet smile. She took his hand delicately, carefully to keep the callouses born from years of wielding daggers away from his palm. Chances were he wouldn't be able to tell those marks from indicators of bar work, but she'd rather not take the chance.
She drew her hand back and brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear again, peeking up at him through her lashes. "Ah'll be meetin' ya at the docks then. Thank ya, ser, ah- ah'm really very excited," she enthused quietly, willing herself to blush in an attempt to sell the bit.
"Marian," he repeated with a soft smile. "Not what I was expecting, but still a very nice name."
She had relatively rough hands for such a lovely young woman. Bar work must have been more demanding than one would typically expect, Din thought. The brief look in his eyes gave him away, but it was soon gone. It was not important, and not something worthy of conversation. Girl's gotta make a living somehow.
"Very well," he nodded, smile remaining. "Meet me by the docks just before the sun rises. I will have everything ready for us by then. I look forward to it, Marian."
He gave her another playful bow, and turned away from her to walk away (and to hide the big, goofy smile on his face). As he made his way through the tavern, he knocked Markus' drink off the table when his comrade attempted to gripe at him.
He let out a heavy sigh as he exited the building. He was so nervous he forgot to mention one important thing. They wouldn't be coming back that day. They wouldn't be coming back for a while. Whoops. He would share that little tidbit of information when the time came.
---
Dinny and his crew were there well before dusk the next morning. They had already "taken care" of the actual ship crew, and set up shop to get everything in motion. The only thing left was to greet cousin Ruby and her royal guards, and the young bandit's new friend.
Din and Spade stood outside, glaring off into the warm waters by the docks. Everyone else in the Canary Crew had already positioned themselves inside the vessel.
"Nervous?" Spade asked quietly, a hint of mockery in his voice.
"Not at all," Din replied. "These is going to be a cake job. Those guards will be easy enough to handle and we will be home free in no time."
"Not about the job, you imbecile," Spade started. "About the girl. You nervous about whats-her-name?"
Dinny grinned slyly. "Marian," he corrected. "Yeah, I knew what you were talking about. And yeah, I am nervous as shit. That obvious?"
Spade gave off a little shrug. "S'pose so. Regardless of that, I still think you are an idiot. Bringing a date on a job? I would ask what you were thinking, but I know better. You don't think. Ever." His words were harsh but there was a bit of lightheartedness in his tone. "Anyway, good luck. Hope ya don't get kicked out of the band."
Din's oldest friend turned heel and boarded the ship, leaving him to wait at the docks alone.
((OOC: quick note: dawn is sunrise, dusk is sunset, I think you got 'em mixed up ^.^))
"Marian" arrived just before dawn, a sarong wrapped artfully around her hips and a carefully corseted blouse clinging to her shoulders and bust. Her hair had been left down, an island rose tucked behind one ear.
No less than seven daggers were concealed on her person, which was a feat in itself, given how tightly her clothing clung to her form.
She approached the docks with appropriate wariness, glancing around as she searched for her new contact. She found him easily enough and waved with a small, shy smile.
((OOC: Lol, you're right! I got them mixed up. I feel silly now, but thanks for the correction:) ))
Din's eyes found the approaching woman and he returned a soft wave without even realizing.
She was damn beautiful. Well, all women were beautiful. But, she was something else. Perhaps the most beautiful thing he found about her was that she actually agreed to join him today? That was the likely truth that Din refused to believe. No, she was the most beautiful woman in the world. He nodded to himself in reassurance.
His heart was beating out of his chest as she walked near him, feet frozen to the docks for only a moment. Fucking nerves. He pulled himself together quickly and started moving towards her, a generous grin spreading across his face as he did. He wouldn't dare show her his nerves - a gentleman always has the upper hand!
"You made it!" he greeted her. He motioned to the vessel behind him. "That's the ship just over there! All aboard!"
Maybe she wouldn't look at the ship's rather large size and Dinny's poor-esque exterior and put two and two together.
"Of course ah did." She smiled and dipped her head to him briefly. "Couldn't miss this now, could ah?"
Carefully, she reached forward to take his arm, blinking innocently at him. "Escort a gal aboard?"
'This is fucking incredible.'
He offered his arm and led her across the boarding ramp until they were both firmly placed on the ship. At this point, he completely forgot the real reason they were on the vessel.
As they started to walk the deck, Regen turned corner from the front, but froze when she saw them.
"Oh," she said, flashing a quick smile. "Hi."
Seeing his comrade brought him back to reality, if only for a moment. "Uh, Marian, this is Regen," he introduced. "She's a part of my crew. Regen, this is Marian."
Regen gave Dinny a sly look as to say 'Your crew?' and then nodded to the young woman. "It's nice to meet you, Marian," she said before hurrying off.
Aw. He was so happy to see her.
That was actually...cute.
Rose couldn't help smiling a bit as he guided her on board. She smiled shyly at Regen and waved to her, ducking her head just a bit so her loose hair fell slightly in front of her face. "She seems nice," she murmured.
She looked around curiously, taking stock of their surroundings under the guise of simple curiosity. "Oh, this is very excitin'! How many of ya are there here?"
Nerves started to get the better of him, so he started talking. Alot.
"I'm so glad you're excited!" he said eagerly. "I'm excited too! And yeah, Regen's the best! Serenian, actually, like my mother! She's a good girl, unlike the other jackasses I work with. Except Spade, o'course. Me and him go way back! You'll have to meet him too. Oh, there's six of us in the crew: Me, Spade, Regen, Jarvis, Markus, and the boss, but we have more people joining us today."
He stopped to catch his breath, eyes slightly widening at that last bit. How was he going to explain cousin Ruby and her royal guards?
"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention," he started cautiously. "Technically speaking, this will be more than just a pleasure cruise. I mean, it will for us, but.. we are bringing some friends of ours to some isles not far from here today. Yeah, friends. But they will not be a bother to us at all! Anyway, tell me more about yourself."
And that was one terrible way to change the subject.
"About me?" She blinked, then ducked her eyes again bashfully. "Well, ser, there's not much to tell, bein' truthful." She shrugged and reached up to play with a lock of her hair absently. "Grew up near Zantaric, down south. Hoped on the first boat ah could and didn't look back."
"Oh I am certain there is more to the story than that!" he said earnestly. "And, Marian, there's no need to keep calling me sir. You're making me feel old. You can call me Dinny."
Before she could respond, he grabbed her hand. "Come with me," he said quickly as he led her to the deck of the ship.
The sun had begun to rise, giving them just a little bit of light. Just enough for him to work with. "Check this out."
He muttered a quick spell under his breath and motioned his arm out to the ocean; the ladder mostly for dramatic effect. Water rose from the ocean surface and floated midair before them, circling around until it formed the shape of a flower. It didn't last long, but it was impressive enough, he thought. The flowered shape of water sprinkled back down into the ocean below them.
He peered back at her. "It's a rose," he said cheekily. "To match the one in your hair. Looks great on you, by the way."
His warm smile remained even as he noticed cousin Ruby and her guards approaching the boarding ramp, goods in hand.
Ah right. The flower in her hair.
Perhaps that had been a little on the nose.
She smiled and ducked her eyes bashfully. "Well, thank ya," she murmured. "Ya can do water magic? That's real impressive," she enthused quickly, looking up into his face again with wide, shining eyes.
Interesting to note, certainly.
"Yeah, well my mother is Serenian and," he stopped, casting a look behind her. Regen was busy keeping Ruby and her guards busy, showing them to their cabin, as the rest of the crew brought their luggage and valuables onto the vessel.
Theoretically, he should be helping, but he was just extra muscle and eyes on this job. Plus, he had Marian with him, and the boss already gave him the okay. Yeah. Everything would be fine.
"And.. I learned some spells when we lived in Serendipity," he finished his sentence in a murmur, now obviously looking past her.
Shit. One of the guards was coming their way. Dammit, Regen.
"Hello sir!" Dinny said cheerily to the approaching man. "Beautiful day for an ocean cruise, no?"
He stopped a few feet short from them with a heavy thud before eyeing Din up and down with brief, but obvious judgement. "Are you a part of the crew?" he asked gruffly, giving "Marian" a sidelong glance as well.
Dinny shot the woman a quick look before returning to the guard. "Yes sir, part of the crew. Both of us."
Aria eyed the man up and down. This might be him. She'd have to check for the brand on his collar. Now, how to do that...
Feigning nervousness, she grabbed onto Dinny's arm and leaned into his side, making a point to press every inch of her curves up against his side. Gods, this was almost too easy.
"R-right, part of the crew!" she chirped with wide eyes, blinking up at the guard. "How d'ya do, ser?"
As soon as the woman pressed herself up against him, Dinny couldn't help but smile smugly. Gods, this was so easy! Probably the best date he has ever been on, he concluded, and it has only just started!
Not only that, but he was happy with her quick ability to play along. She really had no idea what was really happening on this vessel, or so he thought, and the fact that she jumped right into his story was... impressive, to say the least.
The guard gave her a more quizzical look this time around, his eyes gliding over her more feminine features a bit longer than a gentleman should. "You don't look like you'd be a part of any ship crew," he said bluntly. "But I guess none of you do, and I am not surprised. Good help is hard to find."
With that, he turned on his heel and started off in the opposite direction.
'Not surprised?' Din thought to himself. 'Stupid bastard.'
"Well." She blinked and wrinkled her nose up at her companion. "He en't exactly friendly, is he?" she murmured, lowering her voice as though afraid of getting caught.
Making her eyes rather large, she added, even softer, "We— we aren't gonna get in trouble for this, are we?"
Dinny's heart melted.
Damn. Look at those eyes. He was such a big softy.
"Of course not!" he lied, not really knowing. "I really just didn't want our guests to know that another guest was on the ship, as well. Makes them feel important, you know?"
He grinned at her sheepishly and scratched the back of his head. She probably didn't buy any of that.
"It's kind of hard to explain," he said quietly.
---
Regen had brought Ruby and her guards into the guest quarters as the rest of the crew finished "loading" their valuables and other belonging. This was going to be a piece of cake, though she couldn't help but be a bit nervous. She always was on these missions, especially since Rata always gave her the part as 'host.'
The woman was always the host in Rata's crew. Typical.
"Fancy anything to drink ma'am?" she asked Ruby, not really paying the guard with her no mind.
"No, no, I am quite alright," the young noblewoman responded kindly. She was nice. Pretty. Probably for the best that Dinny was preoccupied. "When do we set sail?"
"Very soon, ma'am," Regen replied with a warm smile. "Ever been to Serendipity before?"
"Oh, tons of times," the nobleman woman said. "I quite like it."
The young bandit crinkled her nose at her response. "I quite like it too, ma'am," Regen said sincerely, still not paying too much attention to the guard.
Wait.
Guard? Where was the other one?
---
"All I'm trying to say," Din explained in his best attempt at a comforting voice. "You don't have to worry about anything. I'll take care of you. So, is there anything you'd like to do? Anything you want to see? It's been ten years since the last time you were on a ship, right?"
"Ah appreciate it." She smiled and squeezed his arm gently, leaning into him a little more. Her eyes widened again at the question and she flushed, shaking her head. "Oh, ah wouldn't know what ta do first!" she laughed. "What d'ya think?"
"Well, let's see," he said while placing his fingers around his chin."Fancy a drink? I know where they keep the good stuff here. Or, how about I let you steer the ship for a little while? We should set sail soon, and I know the 'captain.'"
Dinny looked longingly into her eyes as he awaited her response. He really did love that accent. He felt like he could listen to it all day, though he typically did most of the talking in most situations. "Or wait! How about we-"
"ACHOOOO!"
And there it was. Fucking Rata. Sneezing his way into Dinny's affairs per usual.
The young bandit shot his Boss a mean glare as he came up the aisle. "Dinny," he grumbled out to him. "Ya never introduced me to yer' new friend!"
He finished his slow pace until he was within arms reach. "You sure do have a funny accent, miss," he said, his breath worse than human shit. "Sounds Zantaric, but something is a bit off."
---
"Man, this is going to be so easy," Jarvis said smugly as he eyed one of Ruby's jeweled belongings. "And she only brought two guards? Just two? We could take care of them before we even set sail, y'know?"
"Quit talking so loud, you incompetent baboon," Spade replied sharply. "What if someone were to hear you?"
"Well, if Regen does her job, that won't be a problem."
Spade face palmed. What an idiot. "She's just one girl," he said in a whisper. "Doesn't matter how many guards or any other circumstance. Anything can happen. We gotta keep our guard up."
"Yeah, yeah," Jarvis waved him off. "Whatever you say."
Just around the corner, the guard from earlier was listening in.
'Bastards! I knew it!' the man thought to himself. 'I have to take care of this before the ship-'
His train of thought cut off as he felt the motion of waves move underneath him. Shit. The vessel was moving.
Rose made her eyes even wider. "Ah'm sure ah don't know what y'mean," she murmured, shrinking back toward Dinny, hoping his infatuation with her would outweigh whatever respect he had for his captain.
The ship lurched beneath her feet and she stumbled slightly, playing up the trip as an excuse to grab onto Din's arm again. "Oh! We're moving!"
Even Dinny gave the woman a quizzical look, though very brief, and was soon interrupted by the moving ship. "That's right!" he said excitedly. "Go away, Gramps. You're cramping our style. Go sneeze into someone else's business."
Rata's face grew red with anger, and maybe a little embarrassment. "I'm younger than I look!" he snapped, shaking his fists in front of them. "And besides, I was only teasin'!"
The young bandit flashed his boss a triumphant grin before looking back at his guest."I'm going to let Marian steer the ship!"
The Boss threw his hands into the air in utter disbelief. "Are you fucking stupid? You nasty little-"
"Come on!"
And with that, Dinny grabbed the woman's hand and led her to the helm.
---
Jarvis left the cargo room he was previously in with Spade, and headed toward the helm to pay Markus a visit before regrouping. Turning a corner, he felt the piercing sensation of cold steel go through his stomach.
"Uh ... W-What?" he moaned, looking down to see a silvered sword wedged inside of him. But who? The only people on the ship were the crew and...
The Guard! It was one of the guards!
The guard who had previously interrogated Din and "Marian" stared at the man he just stabbed with cold, satisfied eyes. "You should've listen to your friend and kept your mouth shut," he said under his breath. Sliding his blade out of the man's stomach, he shoved him to the ground and started toward the guests chambers to alert the other guard and Ruby.
"Oh!" "Marian" giggled delightedly as she was pulled to the helm. "Are ya sure this is a good idea?" she asked with a bubbling laugh. "I don't know anythin' 'bout steerin' boats and the like!"
Even as she simpered and fawned, her eyes scanned the deck. One guard. Which meant the other was already below-decks, tending to his lady. She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, considering.
She could try to seduce them out of their clothes, but that could take so much time. Not to mention it'd probably irritate her current host on the ship.
"It's this way, Marian!" the bandit shouted gleefully as he led her away.
They turned another corner on the large ship, heading for the helm, when he saw him.
Jarvis was on the ground, and he was badly injured. He laid there soaking in a pool of his own blood, his eyes white with shock.
"Jarvis!" Din cried out, running up and kneeling down by his side. "What the hell happened?"
He grabbed the man by his shoulders and shook him frantically - which probably wasn't the wisest idea. Shit. Have they been found out? They must have! He never really got along with this particular comrade, but he was still his friend. "Answer me! Answer me, damn you!"
And then there was Marian. What to do with her? The man really had no time to think. He would have to come clean, sooner rather than later.
"D-Dinny," Jarvis said softly with an accompanied groan. "It was.. that damn guard. You gotta.. go tell the others."
Dinny shot back up to his feet, giving his guest a worried glance before looking back down on his comrade. "I gotta go get Regen before the guard does! She's the only one on this ship with knowledge of healing magic. Marian, can you stay here with Jarvis?"
---
[OOC: If your character does decide to stick around with him, feel free to write for Jarvis, or any of my other NPCs if you'd like.]
Fuck.
Just what she needed.
Rose almost told the bandit to go shove it, but she caught herself just in time. You're Marian, be Marian.
Pretending to swoon slightly, she collapsed to her knees beside the wounded man and nodded shakily at Dinny. "H-hurry, please! He looks bad..."
She scowled down at Jarvis once the other man was out of sight, sucking in an irritated breath between her teeth. Grumbling to herself, she tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her sarong and wrapped it tight around his middle, hoping to stem the bleeding somewhat.
"You better hope that works, lad, 'cause it's all you're getting from me," she muttered, Zantaric accent nowhere to be seen. Quickly, she got to her feet and hurried belowdeck, already reached for the blade strapped to her thigh.
Better figure out which guard I'm hunting quick-like.
This was bad.
Din rushed for the guests chambers, drawing his dagger as he did so. Regen could hold her own in a fight, but these guards clearly were no pushovers. He couldn't be sure which one attacked Jarvis, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was the one interrogating "Marian" and himself earlier.
Dammit!
He shouldn't have left Marian alone, but what was he suppose to do? They have already dealt with Jarvis and moved on, so she should be safe. That's what the bandit kept telling himself, at least.
It was either that, or throw her overboard and pray she could swim.
What's worse is the entire crew were scattered amongst the ship. He had a loose idea of where everyone else was, but he didn't know who knew what happened to Jarvis and who didn't.
'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!' he screamed internally as he was just outside the guest cabin.
He barged into the room with a heavy thud, waving his blade in the air. "FREEZE!"
Ruby gasped, the guard rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword, and Regen stared at him frantically.
"Din!" Regen pleaded. "W-What are you doing? What's going on?"
Din looked around the room quickly, his heart beating out of his chest. It was still just the three of them. They didn't appear to know anything yet. So, he beat the other soldier here. Thank Gods.
"I..." he trailed off, thinking of an excuse. "I thought I heard something. I'm sorry."
So, if the other guard wasn't here, where was he?
Rose was almost right behind him, the other guard unconscious down the hall. Checked and clean. Which meant the man she was after was in the cabin with Din and Lady Ruby.
Damnit.
Jig was up, then. She didn't have time to play this safe. And honestly, it was getting boring.
"Alright." The bard strode into the room, idly flipping her dagger end over end without really bothering to look at it. She locked eyes with the guard. "Master Elias Smyth? I've got some business with you, lad. If you don't want the little lady mixed up in it, I suggest you and I step outside," she purred with a smile.
Her false accent was gone, as was the simpering, wilting demeanor of "Marian." Aria Rose had made her appearance, and she was fully in control.
Dinny's mouth sat agape as the woman waltzed in with confidence and a new voice.
"The fucking hell is this?" he muttered under his breath.
This was not Marian. This was someone else entirely. So, she was using him this whole time? She was lying to him this whole time? Well, he was lying to her the entire time, too, he thought. But still! And what was her business with this guard? Step outside together? Over his dead body.
"Marian, what the hell?!"
Dinny was in such a disarray that he completely blocked out how Ruby, Regen, and the guard were reacting.
---
At the ship's helm, Markus was sprawled out onto the ground, unconscious. No one was steering the ship, and they were heading straight for a remote island just far enough from Thantos for it to become a problem.
"Oh, sweetheart." Rose gave him an almost pitying look. "Love, my name isn't Marian," she sighed, rolling her eyes. Hadn't he figured that out by now?
The "guard" bared his teeth, moving to raise his already drawn blade. Before he could, the dagger had left Rose's hand and buried itself in his shoulder. He dropped the sword with a howl of pain and suddenly she was holding a new dagger, her skirt fetched up around her thighs for a moment to reveal two more strapped to her legs.
"I wouldn't, Master Smyth," she cooed with a grin. Flinty eyes flicked toward Ruby and Regen. "You two stand back, don't want you getting mixed up in this."
Dinny's face was flushed with anger, but her call out to the other two women reminded him why he was in the guest's cabin in the first place.
"Regen!" he said quickly. "Jarvis was stabbed by that other bastard of a guard. He's in the isle just outside of the helm. You need to go help him now!"
Regen's eyes widened hearing of Jarvis' condition. She nodded, didn't say another word, and rushed out of the door.
"Now, since the guard isn't even here yet," the young bandit said, pointing his drawn dagger in the woman's direction. "I am going to assume you've already taken care of him. What is it that you want anyway, Mari--"
He stopped. That was not her name.
"I don't even know what to even call you now, but it looks to me as if we're on the same side."
"For the moment," Rose agreed with a smirk.
Elias bared his teeth at her. "You could call her Loke. It's her name, after all," he hissed.
Rose's smirk vanished, replaced with an emotionless mask as she strode forward and shoved the blade of her dagger against his throat. "Mind your tongue before I cut it out," she said mildly, and glanced toward Ruby. "You may want to make yourself scarce, little lady, if blood gets you swooning-like."
Ruby didn't stay to listen to the woman's entire sentence before she was out the door, shrieking in fear. Wonderful. This job is shot to hells.
Dinny watched the nobleman scurry out the door, hoping someone in the crew would find her. He knew he probably should have went after her, but he felt he should stay and see out this little problem.
"Loke?" he repeated under his breath. "I don't like it. The name Marian is much prettier."
He folded his arms, and turned away from her, as if to pout.
"Listen, Marian. We don't kill in this crew, so I hope that's not what you are planning to do today," he said, still looking in the opposite direction. "I don't want to fight you... but I will."
Rose laughed, stepping gracefully around behind her kneeling mark. In a lightning-fast movement, she held another blade in her off hand, both crossed beneath Elias's chin.
She smirked at Dinny, eyes cold. "And what exactly are you going to do about it?" She cocked her head at him. "I'm an assissin, sweet thing. This is what I do."
An easy flick of her wrists and her blades bit into the man's throat, almost gracefully slicing it open. She stepped back to let him slumped to the floor as he choked on his own blood, bleeding out in moments.
While his back was turned, Dinny was conjuring up another water spell. He didn't quite know what he was going to do, but he had to try something - even if he didn't want to.
But it was too late. She killed him right then and there, and they were all in real shit now.
"Why the hell did you do that?!" he screamed, spinning around. In one quick motion, he threw what amounted to a bucket of water right in her face.
Shit.
His water magic needed a bit of work.
Aria's eyes widened, and she barely had time to turn and take the brunt of the water off her shoulder before the spell hit her.
Sputtering, she stared incredulously at the bandit. "And what in the name of all hells was that supposed to accomplish?!"
Din blinked, giving her a look that said even he was a little confused by his actions. Though, he quickly wiped that feeling away and flashed her triumphant grin.
"Well, I just thought you needed to cool off a bit," he mused. "Besides, you look really pretty when your hair is wet. See ya!"
As soon he said that, he turned on his heel to run out of the door, but was interrupted by a loud crash that threw the ship off-balance, sending him tumbling to the ground.
---
"We fucking crashed into something!" Rata scowled as he hurried over to the helm of the ship. "The fuck is Markus doing? Gods, if you want something you done ya gotta do it yerself!"
Turning the corner, he saw no one at the wheel. At first, at least. Glancing down, he found Markus unconscious on the ground.
"Gods dammit all!" he huffed, trying to turn the wheel away from the large rocky barrier just outside of a little remote island. "It's too late! We're going down!"
"Gah!" Rose lurched to the side as the ship rocked beneath them, though she regained her balance quickly enough. "Shit."
She looked up to Din with a glare. "What the hells is going on?!"
"How the hell should I know?!" he snapped back at the woman, not before temporarily losing his balance again.
The ship creaked threateningly as it barged against the cliffs once more, and the weight of the waves began pulling the vessel into the depths below. Din threw his arms out in the air in frustration as he realized what exactly was happening.
He threw the woman an annoyed glare. "This is just great. We're sinking!" he huffed. "Look what you did!"
---
"Get'em on the life boats!" Rata yelled as Spade carried the injured Jarvis over his shoulder. Regen had gotten there just in time to prevent him dying that day, but he was still in too bad of a shape to walk.
"How the fuck did this happen?" Spade yelled, dropping his comrade into the little boat. "Where's Din?"
"He must still be with that girl!" Markus moaned, recently awoken from his unconsciousness. "I knew it was going to be trouble bringing her."
"This is worst job we've ever done," Regen said frantically. "First, Jarvis gets stabbed, then Markus gets knocked out. Dinny's little play thing turns out to be some wild murderess, and now the fucking ship is sinking!"
"We can't just leave Dinny here!" Spade barked, turning his focus to the boss. "We need to go get him now!"
"The hell we will," Rata barked back. "I told him if he screwed this up, he's out of the band! And look where we are now! We're leaving without'em!"
"Sorry, but I can't," Spade continued to argue. "I'm going after him-"
As soon as he turned around to find his friend, he was unconscious on the ground. Rata stood over him with a look of worry and irritation after dealing him a blow to the back of the head. "I won't hear of it, boy," he muttered under his breath. "Markus. Regen. Get'em on the boat, too. We gotta get off this thing now!"
"What are we going to do with them?" Markus asked, motioning to a tied-up Ruby and her remaining guard.
Rata shrugged and spit. "Fuck it. Keep'em tied up, but put them in the other life boat. Let'em fend for themselves."
"Yes sir!" Markus and Regen said simultaneously. They did as their boss ordered, and soon enough Ruby and her other guard were on their way, as well as the rest of the Canary Crew.
Rose bared her teeth as the ship lurched again, just barely managing to avoid slipping in the ever-growing pool of blood that spread from Elias's body.
She didn't bother to dignify Din's quip with an answer, instead barking, "Get above deck, this boat is going down!"
"Right," he answered, looking around. They could argue later, right now they needed to figure out how they were going to get out of this. Oh, the life boats! There were two life boats on this vessel! Of course!
"Follow me!" he said frantically, running out of the guests cabin and in route to the deck of the ship.
Sure, Dinny was unhappy with the situation at hand, but he wasn't going to leave the woman here to die. He had more honor than that, even for a thief.
He could only hope the rest of his crew held that same honor today.
Rose growled and followed him out of the cabin, stripping off the top layer of her sarong.
As the fabric fluttered away behind her she stretched her wings, crouched and prepared to take off at a moment's notice as they reached the upper decks. "Alright, genius, what's your plan?" she shouted over the creaking and groaning of the battered hull.
[OOC: Just a note, in an earlier post I mentioned them being far enough from Thantos. I meant Yoreiqi haha, just got two of my characters' locations confused xD]
Din continued forward, not looking back at the woman at first to notice her change. "We have some life boats on this ship!" he called back as he ran at full speed. "If we can get to those in time, we can hop on one with the rest of the crew and make our way back to the Port."
Just a few more strides and they were there, but the life boats were not. A look of dread washed over Dinny's face as he realized what happened. "S-Shit! They left without me?!" he asked, mostly to himself.
'Now what the hell are we suppose to do?!'
There was really no time to think about why they left without them, or be bitter about it. He could do that later.
He whipped around to face the woman when he saw her now exposed wings, wide-eyed in awe. "F-Fuck! You have wings!" he shouted, taking a step back in surprise. "So you are Yoreiqi too?!"
Not only had the woman been fooling him this whole time, but she was of his kind and she actually had wings, unlike him.
How humiliating.
"We don't really have time to talk about that," Rose snapped, and she held out her arms as though to embrace him, expression sour. "Come on!"
She couldn't fly far, but she could at least get them away from the sinkhole that the ship would create when it sunk beneath the water.
He looked at her with further disbelief, before throwing his arms up in the air in defeat. "Oh, for fucks' sake!" he yelled as he ran over and wrapped his arms around her. "Don't you dare drop me!"
Another large echoing boom rang out through the ship and it was slammed against the cliffs one more.
Well, it was now or never.
Rose snorted. "Don't tempt me," she muttered as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and eyed the approaching cliffs. One...two...
She crouched, tensed, then sprang into the air as the ship slammed into the rocks, using the momentum of the crash to vault them up. Beating her wings powerfully, she banked away from the sinking vessel.
"Mind your hands," she warned Dinny as she searched the water for something, anything they could light on. She wasn't exactly a practiced flyer, she couldn't keep this up for very long.
"You mind yours!" he snapped at her, holding on for dear life. "What kind of guy do you think I am?!"
He cast a glance below to view the capsized ship crashing against the waves and the rocky barrier of the unknown island. If he fell now, surely he would die. He gripped his hold on the woman just a bit tighter... just to be safe.
Rolling her eyes, Rose banked out over the rocky outcropping. Gods, she hoped this would smooth out...there!
Swooping low, she barely managed to touch an expanse of sand before her wings, unused to such exercise, just about gave out. They went tumbling over the sand, a tangle of arms and legs and wings.
Wincing, Rose tried to disentangle herself, swearing colorfully.
Oof!
The wind was knocked out of the man as soon as he plopped onto the sandy surface. It took him several moments to regain his composure, but when he did he slipped out of the tangle they were in and got back to his feet.
"Damn. That hurt," he groaned, rubbing the back of his head.
He peered down at the woman who just narrowly saved them, and offered her a hand. "Are you okay?"
Groaning quietly, Rose pushed herself up onto her elbows and shook her head, spitting sand. She eyed Din's hand warily, then took it as though it was a venomous snake.
"Fine," she huffed. "You?"
"My ass hurts," he said shortly, helping the woman to her feet.
As soon as she was back up, he let go of her hand and walked a few steps away, turning his back to her. "I can't believe those bastards left me here," he muttered under his breath. "I just can't believe it."
He turned on his heel to face the woman. "This is just great. Stranded on some bumfuck island with... I don't even know who you are! Loke, then? That's your name?"
Off in the distance, through the trees, someone was watching.
She narrowed her eyes. "Rose," she snapped. "My name is Aria Rose. Do not call me Loke."
Too battered and frustrated to pay much attention to their surroundings, she rolled her shoulders and winced as her wing popped uncomfortably in its joint. "Gods! Damnit," she hissed, trying to crane her neck around to see the joint. Had she sprained it?
"O-Oh.. Okay," he said quietly. Apparently he hit a nerve.
He watched the woman for a moment. She was in pain. Clearly, more so than he was. He thought about trying to help, but knew it would only be met with further distaste. What had he known to garner such behavior toward him? He should be the one that was the most upset: being tricked, being abandoned.
But then came her name, and it was nice to hear some actual honesty. Of course, he hadn't been completely honest with her from the start, but still!
"Rose," he repeated softly. "That's a nice name. It suits you much better."
While she attempted to get herself back into sorts, he decided to take another look around. From the beach they were on, he couldn't see anything beyond the waves. He had no idea how far they made it from Yoreiqi.
The realization of their situation came flooding in, and a hint of panic rose in his face, and even more so in his voice.
"Rose, we need to get off this island," he stated with hesitation. "I am going to go look for some material to build a raft, and maybe I will find some food in the process. I know you don't like me, but right now you're stuck with me. I hope that isn't too much of a burden on you."
Without waiting for a response, he began walking toward the wooded area of the island, a smug smile on his face.
'That'll show her.'
---
The eyes watching the two from afar were getting closer.
Rose rolled her eyes at his back.
"...I like you fine," she sighed, relaxing slightly once she was relatively sure he was out of earshot. It was true, she didn't have anything against the bandit-- she almost felt bad for tricking him, he seemed sweet enough, as far as such things went. But he'd be useful, so she used him. Simple as that.
Another sigh and she sank down onto the sand, taking stock of her body. Nothing broken, but she'd definitely strained her wing somehow. She grumbled to herself and tried to roll her shoulder back again, testing the bruised muscles.
Dinny moved further in the woods, searching for something, anything, that could be of some use to them. Luckily, during all that commotion, he managed to hold onto his daggers. There were some dead trees laying over - those may help, but he wouldn't be able to carry them by himself.
Dammit!
He huffed out in frustration. What's the use? Rose was hurt, he wasn't going to be of much help. The raft may have to wait, they needed to find food first just to make you through the day/night. That, or start swimming.
"I can't believe those bastards left me!" he said to himself while rustling through the area. "I guess the Boss did say I would be outta' the band if something went wrong, but this wasn't my fault! Gods' sake. The others I get, but Spade, too?!"
He sat down on a nearby stump, taking in the sights around him. Where was he exactly?
Wonderful.
He was lost. He lost track of where he was going and now he couldn't even see the beach where he left Rose.
"Oh, this is just too perfect," he muttered under his breath, placing his face in the palm of his hands.
Just then, he heard a rustling noise, followed by the sound of what he thought were footsteps. Did the woman follow him out there? His eyes widened in total disbelief - she didn't listen to a word he said! She was in no condition to be wandering around.
"Rose! You're hurt, you need to stay-"
He started to turn around but was interrupted by the momentary feeling of a force slamming against the back of his head, and then everything went black.
What was that?
Rose raised her head. "Din?"
No response. He couldn't have gotten that far, could he? And what was that noise?
"Dinny?" Still nothing. Frowning, Rose got to her feet and cautiously started picking her way in the direction the bandit had gone. "Oi. If you've gotten yourself stuck in a ditch or something I swear to gods..." she grumbled, eyes flicking around warily.
The tribesman of the island did not take too kindly to unexpected visitors. First, they went for the boy, and then they would go for the girl.
The strange people of this land looked Yoreiqi, but in a much less-developed and more primal nature. They wore loose articles of clothing that one could to compare dirty rags, were barefoot, skin kissed by the sun, and carried wooden spears carved from the trees.
With the brunt of a spear, one of the men had snuck up behind Dinny and slammed it across the back of his head, rendering him unconscious. More of the like flooded out the trees, dragging the bandit off into the unknown territory.
With a signal to head for the beach, more of the peoples headed in Rose's direction.
---
Din's eyes opened slowly, his vision slightly blurred for a moment as he regained consciousness.
"Fuck me," he moaned, trying to get his wit about him. "What the hell happened?"
His vision finally cleared up, only to realize that he was alone in some dark little shack. Not only that, but he was tied up.
Shit.
Fuck me, Rose swore silently, for what felt like the hundredth time that day.
As the people-- natives of the island, she assumed-- approached, she raised her hands in an effort to show she was unarmed.
"Hello?" She tried her mother's tongue, Yoreiqi, or what little she knew of it. She could get by, but she wasn't exactly fluent.
The natives gave her a puzzled look when she began to speak, most not understanding. Even the ones who did understand chose not to answer. To capture the girl were their orders, and they fully intended to do so. Forming a circle around her, they began closing in.
---
"Time to make my escape," Din muttered under his breath.
Scooting over until his back was against the wall, he used his feet from underneath him and his shoulder blades behind to slowly, but steadily, scale his way back up to a standing position. While he attempted this, he would give it a go. No better time than the present!
He began to hum an unfamiliar tune - slightly upbeat and in his mind, heroic, as he pushed with all of his might to regain his footing. The young bandit was actually giving himself a theme song as motivation to get out of the situation.
And it worked, temporarily.
As soon as he got to his feet, he attempted hobbling over to a little table in the shack. There was nothing physically on the table that he could use to free himself from the ropes, and whoever captured him had already stripped him of his weapons, but perhaps he could use the edge of the table to loosen the knot.
It was increasingly difficult when his hands were tied behind his back, his feet together, and an additional rope around the rest of his body for good measure. But he was certainly going to give it his all.
The humming continued.
'I really hope Rose doesn't hear this.'
Just as he got inches away from the table, one of the tribesman swung through the door. Shouting something in a language Dinny didn't quite understand, he swung the club end of his spear at him - landing directly into the side of the bandit's face.
Out cold, once again.
Rose gritted her teeth. She was in no shape to fight, and she knew it. Maybe if she hadn't been so badly outnumbered, but as it was? No chance.
Hands still raised, she ducked her eyes and waited for the strangers to approach. She had no intention of resisting them.
Some lifted their spears, pointing the tip close enough to touch her face if they moved any further. Another man shouted out something that, though not very clear, sounded like an order, and the rest that surrounded her moved in to take the surrendered woman.
Two man grabbed one arm each, and another stood behind her with the point of a spear at her back. They motioned to move forward into the deeper wooded area, where they would bring her to the little shack that Din resided in.
---
Dinny grumbled as he came to again, wincing at the feeling of pain in his right cheek bone where they had struck him last. He attempted to sit upright, but only failed and flopped back to the ground.
He gave it another try, this time succeeding. "Oh my gods," he hissed through his teeth. "These bastards are going to beat me stupid."
Leaning his back against the wall, he tried to concentrate on his breathing for a moment and think. He needed to think things through - what was he going to do? He was in no position to escape; even if he did it wouldn't take long for the natives to catch back up to them.
Wait.
Rose! Rose was still out there. She wasn't in the shack with him so she must still be out there, out of harm's way. Surely, she would come for him. Wouldn't she?
He grimaced at the thought. After what happened back on the ship, she probably wouldn't come for him. He shut his eyes and let out a desperate sigh.
"Oh fuck. I'm going to die here," he groaned. "What a way to go."
"Go where, exactly?" Rose asked as she was shoved into the little shack. "Oi!" She glared over her shoulder at her captors. "Easy on the merchandise, huh?"
She didn't expect an answer, and she didn't get one. Her hands were pulled behind her back and bound. She allowed it with a sigh, looking back to Dinny.
"So. You're stuck here too."
Din was in a state of dizziness when the woman was pushed into the shack with him. Finally realizing she was there, his eyes widened as he focused on her figure.
"Well, fuck my face and call me Rata," he groaned, attempting to sit up. "Thanks gods you are okay. I was starting to get a little worried about you."
She snorted. "I think you're the one you should be worried about. Charming turn of phrase by the way," she added with a roll of her eyes.
She glanced toward the door and shuffled closer to him. "They haven't tried to hurt you or anything, have they?"
"Oh, they beat the shit out of me," he lied, though his wincing face might convince her otherwise. He sighed and shook his head. "No, not really. They knocked me out. Twice. The second time a little more painful, and will probably leave a mark."
He tilted his head to give her a look at the right side of his face, where the second blow was dealt. "You tell me," he said through a heavy breath. "How do I look?"
Rose rolled her eyes, but she chuckled a bit for his bravado. "Cute as ever," she assured him dryly. Her brows drew together in a soft frown when she got a better look at the mark on the side of his face and she leaned in, a little ungainly with her hands bound.
"Mm. Probably gonna leave quite a mark, but you should live," she said eventually with a shrug. She was so close now that her breath nearly ghosted over his collar as she spoke.
The bandit grinned at her calling him "cute," probably a little more than he would have liked to. "Now you're just being sweet.. Are you sure you're not.. pulling a fast one on me again?" he asked softly, turning his head just enough to meet her eyes.
He smiled again, unconcerned with the situation and what might happen to them, if only for that moment. "Not the ideal first date, huh?"
She almost felt guilty for a moment, but then she was smirking again. "I've had worse, believe it or not."
A little impulsively, she pecked his cheek before settling back. "I...am sorta sorry about that, by the way."
His face flushed a bit, but perhaps that was just the soreness of his cheek bone.
"There's nothing to be sorry about," he said, shaking his head. "You were just doing your job. Hell, I was doing the same. We were robbing those people, and were going to leave them stranded. I got so excited that I was just going to wing it."
He sat back, leaning his head against the wall and mustered a small chuckle. "We were going to Serendipity," he said, almost in disbelief himself. "I was going to take you to Serendipity without a way back. I didn't even think it through. That's just so... terrible."
Rose chuckled bitterly and leaned back against a wall of the shack, closing her eyes. "Not as terrible as child trafficking."
She cracked one eye open to glance at him sidelong. "That's what he was doing, you know. Elias. That's why I had a hit on him."
Dinny lifted his head from the wall, giving her a quick glance. "Child trafficking?" he repeated. "Well, I'm sorry about how I acted then. I may have... overreacted a bit. Sounds like that bastard deserved to die then."
Trying to adjust his position against the wall, he slipped and slumped over, the back of his head landing in the center of the woman's lap. Whoops. Looking up at her, he flashed her a bashful smile and said, "That was an accident."
"Of course he did." She shrugged. "I don't kill innocents, Din. I've got some morals--"
Her voice choked off in a sharp squeak as his head landed firmly in her lap. She blinked, eyes a little wider than normal, then chuckled and shook her head.
"It'd better have been," she growled, mock-stern. Her eyes twinkled, despite the less-than-ideal situation. "Comfy down there?"
"This is the most comfortable I've ever been in my life," he said, clearly smitten with himself.
He closed his eyes for a moment and eased out a soft breath. They should get shipwrecked and stranded together more often, he thought.
Opening his eyes, he pushed himself to an upright position. "Okay!" he finally declared, sliding his back next to the wall once more. He again pushed his back to the wall, using his feet, knees, and shoulders as leverage to position himself back on his feet.
"I'm getting us out of here," he said, hobbling back over to the corner table.
Rose watched him with one eyebrow raised. "And how exactly do you plan to do that?"
The man shuffled around until his back was to the corner of the table. "Oh, you know," he said through focused breaths as he rubbed the rope binding his wrists behind him on the table. "Little bit of this, little bit of that, aaaaand-"
After another moment, the man pulled his arms from behind his back and out into the open; the rope falling loosely around one arm and onto the floor. "Give me a little credit, Rose," he beamed. "This isn't the first time I've been tied up before."
Bending over, he began untying the ropes circled around his ankles, and then removing the rest before peering at her with pink cheeks and saying, "It's not what it sounds like."
Once all the binds were removed, he quickly tip-toed over to Rose and knelt down in front of her. "Okay, hold still."
Rose laughed laughed, wrinkling her nose up at him. "Kinky. I didn't peg you for the type," she teased as she twisted so he could reach her bound hands.
"Alright, so we get untied. How do we get out of here without siccing the whole village on us?"
Reaching around her, he began removing the ropes around her wrists. "I haven't thought that far through yet," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "Act first, think later - that's sort of my motto if you haven't been able to tell already."
Once her hands were free, he moved to the binds around her legs and feet, working on them as fast, and as quiet, as he could. "We should probably play to our strengths here," he continued. "You're an assassin, right? I mean, you are kind of a bad ass.. So getting away from these people should be easy for you.. If you have a distraction."
He finished untying the ropes that bound her legs. "That's where I come in. One of my biggest strengths is that I can be very loud when I need to be, and can garner as much wanted, or unwanted, attention as I desire. I'm going to create a distraction for you so you can slip out of here."
"Whoa, hang on." She frowned as she twisted so he could better get at the rope around her ankles. "What happens to you? I'm not just gonna leave you here."
Dinny mustered a small smile. "Don't worry about me," he said while removing the last remnants of rope off of her. "They caught me off guard last time, but they won't be so lucky this time around. Let me lure them away from you so you can find a spot to hide out, and we can meet up after I ditch them."
From under his collar, he removed a gemstone's necklace strung together and hung from a loose, leather material. "Take this," he said, placing it in on of her hands. "If you hold onto this, I will be able to find you. Promise."
The young bandit was as full of it as ever, but he wasn't going to miss a chance to impress a lady. That, and he was far more concerned about her own safety than his at that moment.
"No, hang on." She took the necklace but grabbed his wrist, not allowing him to pull away from her. "I'm not just gonna leave you here, you walnut!" she hissed, narrowing her eyes at him.
Dinny couldn't help but smile as he looked right into her eyes. "Walnut? Really?" he asked playfully. "Maybe you're right. Maybe it would be better not to get separated just yet. So, what do you propose we do, m'lady?"
"I--" She frowned.
She really wished she had some sort of alternative plan.
With a sharp sigh, she rubbed at her wrists, trying to get the blood flowing again, and snapped quietly, "Alright, you can be a distraction. But just for the guards outside. You make some noise and I'll knock 'em out, then we skitter out, okay?"
"Your wish is my command," he replied, beaming from ear to ear. "Just promise me if anything happens," he stopped, clearly trying to find the right words. "Hypothetically, if anything happens, you will still get away. If I get caught again, you don't need to do the same just for the sake of me."
"Oh, don't get all noble on me now," Rose said, rolling her eyes.
She hesitated as she got to her feet, pulling him up with her, and stared at him for a moment. Considering. Then she leaned in and kissed him, quick and a little harsh, before turning his shoulders and shoving him toward the door.
"For luck. Now get moving."
It was a good thing Rose turned him away when she did so she didn't see the big silly grin on Din's face. Finally. It happened so fast he wasn't even sure if he kissed back, but hey, it happened. "Don't worry," he said over his shoulder, coming back down to reality, "I got this."
With a little stretch, he began humming the same "theme" song he did for himself earlier, this time not caring that she was in the same room. Peering over his shoulder at her, he flashed her a quick smile before rushing at the door, barging through it and toppling over onto the ground.
At the top of his lungs, he screamed. "WHAT'S A GUY GOT TO DO TO TAKE A PROPER SHIT IN PRIVATE AROUND HERE?! HOW AM I SUPPOSE TO DO THAT ALL TIED UP WITH A WOMAN IN THE ROOM?! WHAT KIND OF KINKY SHIT ARE YOU PEOPLE INTO?!!"
Rose nearly banged her head against the wall.
He was supposed to distract the guards, not get the attention of the whole village!
Moving quickly, she ducked out behind the guard at the door to the little shack and raised her dagger, bringing the hilt down hard on the nape of his neck. He dropped like a stone and she just barely managed to catch him under the arms, lowering him carefully to the ground.
"Run!" she hissed at Dinny, already unfurling her wings from her back.
Oh.
Right.
He was only suppose to distract the guards outside. Perhaps he went a little overboard, but he was still flushed with the excitement from the kiss and wanted to show out. Surely she would understand.
Leaping to his feet, he said "Yes ma'am!" and escaped with her through the trees.
Silly boy.
Rose rolled her eyes again, but she couldn't help smiling just a little as she followed him into the foliage. "Make for the beach," she said quickly, quietly. "If these people are anything like their Yoreiqi neighbors, they'll be able to hunt us from the tree tops."
Dinny nodded as he ran. Or, at least he thought he did. He really couldn't be too sure at the pace they were going. Good thing he was light on his feet.
He looked over his shoulder to make sure the woman was still with him, narrowly, and unknowingly, missing a tree in his path. "I think we're almost there."
"Eyes front!" she snapped, ducking under a branch. Her wings her half flared, instinctively preparing to take off.
His head was facing forward once again, and after a few more minutes of running they approached the clearing of the sandy beaches. Dinny could still see remnants of the ship floating about the ocean just outside of where they had previously "landed."
He slowed, first checking to see if Rose was still behind him and then a further investigation to see if anyone else was around, then back to Rose and her emerging wings.
"Looks like we lost them," he said, hoping. "You sure you can fly in your condition?"
Rose was already wincing in pain, even small movements of her wings straining at the injury.
Through gritted teeth, she muttered, “Maybe, but not all the way back to Ainu.”
Dinny came to a full stop and spun around in front of her. "If you're in pain we don't need to do that," he said sharply. "We should look for a place to hide now until you've regained your strength, unless you want to swim most of the way back."
She opened her mouth to argue— then closed it with a sigh. "Fair enough."
She glanced around. "Where do you suggest we hide? The forest is their territory, and the beach is pretty open..."
Fuck.
She was right, there was no where to hide on the beach, and surely they were running out of time. If they went back into the forest, it would only be a matter of time before the natives caught onto them again, if they weren't watching or on their way already.
Nervously, he scanned his eyes all around them.
Think, Dinny, Think.
His eyes finally rested on the nearby cliffs that their ship had previously collided with. Maybe they should hide out among those rocks, he thought. Peering deeper, he noticed something that shot his eyes open, and gave him a little bit of hope.
Some sort of hole in the cliffs?
...A Cave?
"Follow me," he said, his feet quickly developing into a run.
Wonderful.
More running.
Biting back a curse, Rose hurried after him. She tried to fold her wings in closer to her back, then winced as she pulled at the joint.
Gods, she hoped she didn't have to bind it. That was awkward and uncomfortable under the best circumstances.
As they neared the little cavern entrance, he moved to the side to usher her in, taking one last peak around the outside beach before following.
It was small, but it was enough. With the sun still up, there were peaks of daylights shining through and giving them enough light to see one another.
Once he was sure they were alone, he turned on his heel and stepped cautiously over to Rose. "I'm glad you didn't try to fly back there" he said quietly. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"I'm fine," she bit out through gritted teeth. "It's just a sprain, don't worry about. I've had worse."
"Tough as nails, you are," he said with a small roll of his eyes. "Just take it easy for a while, okay?"
He stepped away from her and examined the walls of the cave. Nothing too interesting, he thought, though there were a few drawing etched into the walls. He traced his fingers across them, but his mind was on everything else. Rose, what he had gotten her into. Spade and the rest of the crew, why they had left him behind and if they were okay. The natives of the island, who they were and what they would do if they found them again. Food. His stomach grumbled in an ever-growing hunger that he had managed to suppress until now.
"Dammit," he said abruptly, kicking his foot on the ground in a childish manner. "I'm..."
His voice softened as he folded his arms over his chest. He wanted to act cocky and show out, tell her, and mostly himself, that everything would be okay and he had it all figured out, but it would only be a lie. Dinny was tired of lying.
"I'm sorry I got you into this."
Rose lifted her head and blinked, a little taken aback by his dejected stance. "Hey now." She frowned. "I'm a big girl, don't you go taking all the credit. I got you into this as much as you got me," she pointed out with a small frown-- though it looked less like an expression of irritation that one bordering dangerously on concern.
With his back still turned, his sudden frustration softened and he tried for a small smile. She was so sweet, even if she didn't mean to be. "You're right," he finally answered, turning back around to face her. "No sense in worrying about it right now. We should just rest."
He rejoined the area where the woman stood and took a seat, crossing his legs over on another and motioning for her to sit down. "So tell me more about yourself," he said somewhat abruptly. "It just dawned on me that I don't know anything about you. Maybe a little of Marian, but not the real you."
Rose blinked at him, half twisted to try to get a better look at her hurt wing. Slowly, she sank down in front of him.
"What do you want to know?" she asked cautiously.
"Oh, you know, the basic stuff," he said with a sly smile. "Likes, dislikes, favorite color, favorite types of food, what kind of guys do you like, what type of dates do you like going on-"
He immediately held up his hands up to prevent her from answering. "Sorry. That may have been a little much," he grinned, somewhat sheepishly. "Let's start with where you're from. You're clearly Yoreiqi.. for obvious reasons. But you don't look full Yoreiqi to me."
Well...that seemed safe enough.
Smiling a bit despite herself at his antics, Rose shook her head and murmured, "I'm not. My mom was Yoreiqi, my dad was a Serenian...tradesman. I grew up on the mainland."
She played up her natural accent a bit. "Town outside Arca, cantcha tell?"
Dinny smiled even brighter, both from her answer and the accent.
"No shit," he responded almost involuntarily. "My father was Yoreiqi, and my mother is Serenian! What a strange coincidence that two halflings like ourselves get stranded on an island together. I knew there was just something about you!"
He scratched at his jawline, a playful grin still very much on his face. "I don't have wings though," he added. "Not sure what I'd do with them if I did. Never been too keen on heights. I've always felt more comfortable in the water."
Rose scoffed. "Fat lot of good they're doing me right now," she sighed, casting an irritated glance over her shoulder at her wings.
She tilted her head at Dinny. "They don't really get me that far anyway, even on a good day. Mostly they're just...inconvenient." She rolled her eyes. "Not exactly subtle, which is sort of the name of the game in my line of work."
"Hey. Be nice to your wings," he said teasingly. "They're beautiful."
He lifted himself off of the ground with his palms and scooted toward her just a little bit. "The most beautiful wings I've ever seen, and they kinda saved the day earlier."
He moved another inch forward and grinned.
"Why'd you get into the line of work you're in, anyway?"
The bard stiffened slightly. Any openness in her expression closed off in an instant. "Family trade," she said quickly, sharply.
Dinny cocked an eyebrow up slightly. Apparently he hit a nerve, but despite his better judgement, decided to press a little further.
"So.. your parents were assassins too?" he asked quietly, placing his face in the palm of his hands as he stared searchingly. "Or maybe just your father, or just your mother?"
Rose glanced at him sidelong, then smirked. "Why so interested?" she asked softly, her voice suddenly a purr. "You don't really want to spend all our time talking, do you? There are other ways to pass the time..."
She reached out to touch his leg lightly, leaning in just a bit.
"Rose..."
His growing curiously immediately washed away as she placed her hand on his leg, a tingle crawling up his spine and through the back of neck. It was actually happening. He must have really impressed her somewhere back there, though he wasn't sure what he did to garner this unexpected behavior.
Nor did he care. Acting purely on instinct, he grabbed her hand and tugged it lightly, attempting to pull her into him.
Rose chuckled quietly and allowed him to tug her in toward him, reaching up to catch at the back of his neck with her free hand to pull him in to meet her halfway.
There was the faintest tingle of guilt as she brushed her lips against his, but she didn't linger on it long. It's not like she was taking advantage; he clearly wanted her, and she honestly liked him.
The fact that keeping his mouth busy kept him from asking questions was just an added bonus.
She hummed softly in the back of her throat and shifted to provide a less awkward angle, wrapping one arm around his neck to press herself closer as she deepened the kiss cautiously, almost experimentally.
Dinny was a little more prepared for her lips this time. A little, but not too much.
Kissing back, he struggled for a moment with the placement of his hands until one found its way around her back, and the other under her legs. Gently, and without warning, he lifted her up and moved her onto his lap.
He moved his hand up her leg for a moment before he broke away from her lips. "Damn, Rose," he mumbled, not really thinking about what he was saying. "You are so lean."
She snorted and shifted in his lap, moving her attentions to his neck. "I'm gonna take that as a compliment," she chuckled, kissing and nipping in turns.
Distraction definitely accomplished.
Her hands trailed down his back, to his hips, hesitated, then slipped under the hem of his shirt to drag her nails gently over bare skin. She wriggled on his lap again, settling her knees to either side of his waist and arching up slightly so she could look down at him as she leaned in for another kiss.
Alright, well now she had a problem. She liked the guy, sure, and he was certainly attractive. Which meant her distraction was turning into a double-edged sword.
Ah, to hell with it. She was stuck on an island with the man, may as well see where this went.
Oh gods. She felt so good.
He met her gaze momentarily when she positioned herself just over him before sliding his hand up her waist and over her breasts until his palm was cupping her cheek, the other hand slipping under the bottom cut of her sharong.
At that point, he wasn't even sure if he was properly kissing back, or if he was even doing a good job at it. His heart was racing and his appetite for the woman was growing more and more as his fingers inched up her legs.
'Best. Day. Ever.'
Rose's breath caught in her throat for a moment, then she leaned into Dinny's hand with a soft, purring sort of sigh and twisted her head to kiss his palm.
She wriggled around a bit, trying to lift his shirt up over his head, and hissed in a sharp breath at what her shifting did to the way they were pressed together.
Her wings fluttered instinctively and she suddenly broke away, wincing in pain. "Fuck."
An idea suddenly struck her. Eyes burning, she twisted back into the embrace and grabbed his hand, moving it from her leg to the joint of her injured wing. A soft, relieved sigh escaped her as the pressure relieved some of the pain.
Not to mention her wings had always been sensitive; the pleasant tingles that shivered down her spine from the contact went a long way toward distracting her from any discomfort.
Dinny moved his face away from her for a moment so he could catch her eyes as she re-positioned his hand.
"Shit," he said softly, acknowledging her pain. "Does this help?"
A look of worry tried to creep into his somewhat mesmerized expression.
She nodded, arching back into his touch slightly. "Yeah, a bit." She smiled a little ruefully. "C'mon now, don't tell me a little sprain is enough to distract you," she snipped playfully.
Though honestly it was...really sweet. Maybe it was telling that basic human decency qualified as "sweet" to her, but she decided not to dwell on that.
"No ma'am!" he shot back quickly, moving his lips in to caress the woman's neck. As he made his way up and down her neck, he tried to maintain his hold on the joint of her wing as to not cause her any more discomfort.
His other hand that was previously cupping her cheek slid down to her waist, gripping it gently as he continued.
"You know," he said through the nips at her neck. "For someone who just went through what we did, you smell really nice."
"Mmm..." Rose laughed quietly as she tilted her head to bare more of her neck. She moved her hands from his back down to his waist, then up to his chest.
Damn. He had more muscle than his frame implied.
"I'm fairly sure I smell like sweat, saltwater, and blood," she noted wryly, and dipped her head to nip at his collar teasingly.
"Gods, I love the smell of saltwater," he said devotedly, tickling her ear with his teeth and a light breath. With his free hand, he ran it through her hair to the back of her scalp.
"This might be the best day of my life," he thought out loud.
"Oh gods." Rose laughed again and rolled her eyes. "Look, I figured most of that posturing was overcompensation, but don't tell me you never get laid," she joked, and sucked lightly on his neck for good measure.
"Oh, please," he replied playfully. "Give me a little credit here, Rose. I was only showing out because I thought you were the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."
Even in the throws of passion, Dinny couldn't help but be a little cheesy.
He moved his hand down from her hand and onto her back, just aside from her wings. "Don't laugh," he said bashfully, "but how do I get these clothes off you without hurting you?"
She did laugh. She couldn't help it. Chuckling quietly, she guided Dinny's hand to the edge of the wrapped garment and curled his fingers in the fabric.
"Hold onto it," she murmured as she stood from his lap-- a reluctant little sigh leaving her despite herself. Slowly, she spun on one heel, twisting herself out of the sarong.
She put a little bit of a show to it. She really couldn't help herself, she did work as a bard most of the time.
Dinny stared up at her, wide eyes, mouth agape.
"Oh. My. Gods," he managed to say through absolute bliss. "Look at you."
Rose actually blushed. She cleared her throat and looked away, biting her lip.
"Alright, flatterer, you're turn." She waved a hand at him. "Pants off."
Din blinked, and then responded with a firm "Yes ma'am!"
He almost tripped over himself getting to his feet only to rip his pants off in one clean motion, revealing his body in full. He stood there for a moment until a small smile formed on his lips and he held his arms out.
"Come get me!"
Rose took a moment to look him up and down. She met his eyes and licked her lips slowly.
"As you wish," she purred, stalking forward. One hand darted out to snatch his wrist and pull him in, the other wound tight around his waist and held him there. There was almost no space left between their bodies as she crushed her lips to his.
As they came together, he wrapped his left arm around to her back and the other placed firmly on the right cheek of her ass.
And it was perfect.
He kissed back, passionately and somewhat harshly, when something hard brushed in between the woman's legs. Breaking away from her lips, he tossed her a bashful smile. "I'm just really happy to see you," he assured.
She snorted softly and arched an eyebrow at him. “You just can’t help yourself, can you?” she sighed, dramatically exhausted.
A pleasant shiver ran down her spine as they brushed together. “Oh gods, just shut up and fuck me,” she growled, jerking him into a sharp, hungry kiss.
Without any more hesitation, he grabbed the woman by the back of her legs, picking her up and placing those legs around his waist.
He really wanted to just ram her against the wall and have at her, but despite the growing craze he still remembered her injury. Instead, he tiptoed them until her back was placed gently against the wall, moving one of his hands just enough to position himself until he was inside of her.
"Oh my fucking gods," he breathed, his mouth slighted open with pleasure. "This feels amazing."
Rose yelped, surprised that he'd actually managed to lift her, then caught her breath as he pressed her back against the wall.
"Oh gods, yes," she gasped, head falling back. Her legs tightened around his waist and she tangled her fingers in his hair, jerking him closer to catch his lips in a harsh kiss.
It had been longer than she'd like to admit since she'd had a good lay, and breaking the dry spell was blissful.
Dinny kissed back as he continued to thrust heavily back and forth into her, but pulled away to give her a grin and a little chuckle. "Sshh," he hissed teasingly as he gripped her legs a little tighter. "They might hear us."
Before she could answer, he pressed his lips against hers once more and moved faster, his torso pounding against with steady, consistent thrusts.
Rose bit her lip to muffle a groan as he continued to move against her, then he was kissing her again and she was lost in the sensations.
"D-Din." She swallowed thickly, eyes half lidded as she pulled away to look at him. "Back," she murmured, pushing lightly at his shoulders. "Back up, lay down..."
He stopped after a few more thrusts, looking at her with a heavy breath before he nodded and placed her back on the ground.
"Your wish-" he cut off as he fell back to the ground. Not as graceful as he would have liked for it to be, but it worked. "-Is my command."
Her breath caught again and a shuddering moan was pulled from her lips as his shuffling did interesting things to the way they were connected.
Once they were both on the ground, she shifted until she was in his lap again, hands on his shoulders, pushing him back against the stone floor. She settled herself on top of him, lips parted slightly as she panted, and began to roll her hips sharply against his.
He previously had his hands propped behind his head, and a smug look on his face at that. Then she was on top of him, and he found his hands slowly moving up and down her wonderfully perfect body.
He couldn't help but smile up at her with absolute bliss as he watched her move against him. "Damn," he said through a soft moan. "This feels so fucking good."
She arched into his touch, lashes fluttering against her cheeks. "Gods damn," she hissed in agreement, then gasped sharply as a zing of pleasure coursed through her body, curling her toes and drawing a soft moan from her.
Rose snapped her eyes to his and leaned forward for another kiss, drawing his lip between her teeth for a moment. "Touch me," she whispered, a plea or a command and she didn't know which.
He grasped her face with his hand as she bit his lip, keeping it there as he pushed his lips back onto hers. He could feel himself go deeper inside her with every move she made, and it was driving him fucking wild.
He could feel the sweat on his body now. They were covered in it.
With one hand still on his lightly cupped around the woman's face, he slid the other up her body, starting from the lowest point between her legs up to her breasts where he massaged his fingers around them.
"Faster," he whispered in what was almost a command. "I need it."
Rose groaned against his lips and a delight lay shiver ran down her spine as his hand stroked over her form. She smirked slightly into the kiss and gave his lip another quick nip.
"You wish is my command," she breathed, and pulled away from him to sit back. Her uninjured wing flared out slightly, then swept to the side and down, lifting her up so he almost left her completely before gravity brought her slamming back down again.
It took her a few moments to adjust her balance and compensate for the injured wing, but once she had she began to ride him mercilessly, hands gripping at his shoulders and eyes fluttering closed as she started to pant and gasp softly with every rock of her hips.
"Oh, fuck," he groaned, grabbing a hold of her hips as she grinded on top of him. His eyes nearly slid to the back of his eyelids and he thought he could explode any minute, but focused through breaths to keep going.
Lifting himself up with one arm, he wrapped the other around to touch her lower back and pressed their chests together. "Oh fuck," he said again through a pleasured breath and began kissing at her neck once more.
"Mmm..." Her back arched deeply and her head lolled back, lips parted as she drew in sharp, slightly ragged breaths. "Oh gods, oh gods."
Rose suddenly tensed, eyes slammed shut, and her head fell forward into the curve of his neck and shoulder. She bit down to muffle a groan as she trembled slightly against him, hips still rolling gently against his as she rode through the high.
No longer using his arm for support, he sat up just a bit more and flung both of his arms to her hips, his fingers delicately digging into her rear as she attempted to guide her through strokes. He could feel it build up inside of him, his face reddening and his eyes going into a daze with uncontrollable pleasure.
Oh gods! It was so good! He had never had anyone like her before, with pure lust and pleasure growing by the second. He never wanted it to end.
He couldn't speak as hecontinued to bury his face into her neck - focusing on it with his lips to keep the momentum going.
Rose shuddered delicately against him, nails digging into his back as she clutched him tighter. "E-easy," she gasped, half laughing. "Damn, Dinny..."
Already hyper-sensitive from her climax, she moaned quietly as they continued to move together, trembling slightly against him.
He slowed a bit and released his grip from her thighs. Propping himself up again with his arms behind him, he smiled playfully through heavy breaths. "I can't help it," he said with hungry eyes. "You are driving me wild."
Leaning forward, he gave her another kiss on the neck before his lips traveled down to her chest. "Why don't you let me take control for a little while?" he muffled through her breasts.
She grinned breathlessly at him and nodded, stroking his hair as he nuzzled into her breast. "Alright then."
She settled herself on his lap, hips pressed flush to his, and allowed herself to take a moment to catch her breath.
He smiled and got to work.
From his back, his hands traveled to touch her back as he thrusted up and down. He took it slow at first, but gradually picked up speed until he abruptly stopped.
"This is great," he smiled, breathing heavy, "but I want to take you from behind. I want you from behind while you look back at me."
"Oh?" One eyebrow quirked up and her lips curved into a smirk. "Awfully demanding, aren't we?" she purred, but she pulled herself away from his lap and turned to put her back to him.
She jerked her head toward him, smirk widening. "Come and get me then."
Dinny could have cried out in joy when Rose obliged, but he refrained from doing so. His favorite position. He gave her a quick nod, sweat dripping from the tips of his blonde locks, moved up just behind her, and then slipped himself in.
And it felt so damn good.
He pushed against her slowly at first, staring longingly in her eyes with parted lips as he did. He just wanted to enjoy her, and everything she was, at that moment. Leaning his head closer, he cupped the side of her cheek with a hand and caressed her lips with his own.
And then, he pushed faster. Faster and harder as the excitement of the wonderful fuck pressed on, and the sound of their clashing skin echoing off the cave walls was enough to make him feel like he was about to burst.
Rose hissed in a sharp breath as they joined again, head falling forward for a moment and hands flying up to brace against the stone wall of the cave.
"Fuck me," she growled, twisting to look back at him. Almost as soon as she did he'd caught her lips in a kiss. She returned the kiss hungrily, almost desperately, and reached back to grip his thigh with one hand, pulling his hips sharp against the back of her thighs.
And fuck her he did.
Bracing himself with one hand on her hip and the other still cupped on her cheek, he hammered away from behind as the two shared lips.
And then he swapped hands. The one that rested on her thigh moved up to her hair, and he gently tugged on it to arch her head back while his other hand dropped to give her a firm, open-palmed slap on the ass.
While his hand was locked into her hair, he moved in to nibble lightly on her ear, breathing words into it with each thrust. "Fuck yes, Rose," he breathed with pleasure into her ear as he continued push himself inside.
Rose growled, letting her head fall back on his shoulder, then twisting slightly to bite at his neck. "Getting close," she hissed, her hand on his thigh clenching slightly, nails digging into his skin.
She rolled her hips back against him a little more forcefully, a low sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a groan caught in her throat.
Dinny continued in an almost primal-like frenzy, breathing heavy as he fucked the woman against the stone wall. He cocked his head back as he their skin continued to collide with one another, and he could feel himself about to climax.
"I can't hold on much longer," he said through his teeth.
Rose's breath came in sharp huffs as she let her head fall forward. She nodded in acknowledgement of Din's words, and suddenly reached down between her legs to stroke firmly where they were connected.
"Let go," she breathed, eyes tight shut as she could feel herself nearing her own peak.
Hearing her permission was almost enough for him to lose control right there, but he fought through a few more thrusts with breathy moans slipping from his lips with each one. This was it.
Quickly and delicately, he wrapped his arms around the woman's neck and moved to tilt her face to him with a thumb and forefinger, moving his lips onto hers.
A few more thrusts and his eyes shut tight, his muscles tensing as the pressure built up to the peak of exploding.
And then it happened.
"Fuck!" he groaned after his release, breaking from her lips just enough to rest his his face with hers cheek to cheek.
With a rather understated gasp and moan Rose found herself tumbling over the edge just a few moments after him, panting raggedly. She pressed her cheek against his, reaching up to clasp his arms around her tighter to her body.
"Fuck..." she agreed with a breathless laugh. She just held him there for a moment, enjoying the rare closeness.
He stood with her as his breathing, and heartbeat, returned to a normal pace. He tightened his hold on her only slightly as he nuzzled his cheek against hers, before adjusting his head just enough to give the side of her face a quick kiss.
"Well," he said through a breath. "That was fucking amazing."
"Mhm," she agreed lazily, the corners of her lips curving up slightly. She twisted her head to return the kiss with one on his lips, soft and lingering.
"Much better way to pass the time than talking, in my opinion," she murmured, still just a tad breathless. Suddenly she laughed. "Damn, Dinny, you know how many guys don't even care if a lady finishes? So nice to know I at least won't have to be taking care of myself of this damn island."
He chuckled lightly. "I may be guilty of doing that a time or two in the past," he admitted with a sheepish grin. "But.. I like you. I wanted to do a good job for you."
He gave her another soft kiss on the neck before peering over his shoulder, noticing the daylight fading through the little cavern entrance. "Damn, how long were we at it?" he asked in an almost triumphant tone of voice. "The sun is going down."
Rose chuckled again and twisted in his arms, one arm draped lazily over his shoulder and down his back while the other hand rested on his hip. "Well someone's proud of himself," she noted with a small smirk.
With a soft sigh she closed her eyes and let her head rest on his shoulder. "Gods, I'm tired."
"Yeah, me too. Let's break for five minutes and go again," he joked, resting the side of his head on top of hers. "But really, why don't you lay down and try to get some sleep? I gotta piss, so I'll sneak a look around to make sure we'll be safe here tonight."
She laughed again quietly and pulled away from him with a nod and a quick peck to the cheek.
"Ever the eloquent gentleman," she noted with a roll of her eyes as she made her way back toward their discarded clothes.
He grinned playfully as the woman walked away, eyes lingering on her backside for more than just a moment.
After he was done inspecting her back, he turned on his heel with a relaxed energy and waltzed out of the cave still completely without clothes. Screw it, he thought. It was getting late and if the natives hadn't found them by now, they probably wouldn't for the rest of the night. Hell, they probably stopped looking.
"Nice night," he whispered under his breath as the breeze of the ocean ran through his hair and in between his bare legs.
Tinkle Tinkle. Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle.
"That's it," he motivated himself. "Get it all out."
Finally finished from an unexpectedly long bathroom break, especially considering he barely had anything to drink that day, he turned and stepped back into the cave where Rose waited.
"Darling, I'm home!"
Rose, half dressed and trying to find the most comfortable position to sleep in in this cave, glanced over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at him.
"Would you shut up and get over here? Gets cold on these islands at night, we should try to stick together to stay warm," she said rather crisply, suddenly almost businesslike.
Dinny lowered his head like a small puppy that just got in trouble. "Yes ma'am," he mumbled as he moved to his clothes and picked them up.
It took him a little bit longer to put his clothes back on than it did for him to take them off, but not by much. After he had everything back on that he would need to stay warm and still be comfortable, he took a knee next to Rose, and then moved to lay next to her.
Oh jeez. Now she felt bad.
With a small sigh, she rolled onto her side and draped one arm over him, tucking her head against his chest as she curved into the warmth of his body.
She couldn't bring herself to apologize, though part of her wanted to. It was an instinct more than anything else, a reflexive reaction to intimacy-- now she had to push him away.
Well. Not literally. It was cold.
He slipped an arm around her neck and placed palm of his hand on her back, holding her to his chest for warmth. And that felt nice. He was still riding the high from their earlier passion, but his senses had calmed and all of the muscles in his body had become so relaxed.
Mission accomplished, he thought, despite the botched bandit job and their current situation.
"What are you going to do when we get off of this island?" he asked as he stared absently at the cave ceiling.
"Go home, I suppose," Rose mused aloud. "Collect my pay, and...move on."
She was quiet a moment, then asked softly, "What about you?"
'When we get back, let's do something together! We can get dinner and drinks, or just drinks, we can go spend the night out on the town, and share an actual bed together, or take a real ship cruise and spend the day out on the ocean. It'll be great! What do you say?'
That's what Dinny wanted to say, but he knew better. Despite the cocky attitude, and the fact that he often carried himself as a loud, bumbling baboon, he was a lot wiser and aware than he typically led on. When they got back to the port, Rose wouldn't want to have anything to do with him. Why would she? They both led different lives, and someone like him would only slow her down. That's what he thought, at least.
"Well," he said softly as he pushed those thoughts away from him. He paused for a moment, considering. "I'll probably go find Rata and smack him one. After that, I'm not really sure. Pretty sure I've been kicked out of the band, so I s'pose I'll figure out what to do from there."
Rose snorted quietly and cuddled a little closer against him. "Yeah. Think he deserves that," she murmured.
She hesitated, contemplative. "Well...what do you want to do? If you could do anything?"
He nuzzled his cheek against the top her head as she moved a little closer.
"Anything? Well, first thing, I'd take you on a real date," he said with a half-smile. "But if you are asking what I would want to do do.. I don't really know. I've lived this way for a long time now, I don't know much else. No particular skill set. Though, I've always loved ships and the open ocean. That is something I didn't lie about. Maybe i'll become a Captain."
He tilted his head to kiss the top of hers, momentarily burying his mouth and nose in her hair. "I have a question," he said quietly."If the guard was your bounty, how are you going to prove that you.. took care of him? He's probably at the bottom of the ocean by now."
Rose blushed slightly, and suddenly found herself grateful that he asked a question so she didn't have to respond to his joke about a date.
"I've been working for this employer for a while," she replied after a moment. "She'll take my word." She was almost certain."
"That's good," he replied with a soft laugh. "I'm going to feel really bad if I screwed that up for you."
He moved his face away from the top of her head, facing back at the cavern ceiling. He took a deep, relaxed breath as he felt his eyelids grow heavy. He knew he should probably try to stay awake a little bit longer, to keep watch so she could sleep and make sure nothing would happen to her, but he just couldn't fight it. He was exhausted, both physically and mentally from the day, but also at peace in that current moment, and he felt himself slipping.
"But if that happens," he started in a soft, tired tone, "you won't have to worry. I'll make it right. I promise.."
Dinny wasn't certain he got the last of what he was saying out, though confident enough, before his eyes shut softly and he slipped into unconsciousness.
She smiled softly as she felt him start to drift off. "Sweet," she murmured sleepily, holding him just a little tighter.
It didn't take her long to follow him into sleep.
The rest of the night came and went, and Dinny slept soundlessly through the entirety of it. As the sun rose, peaks of overcast daylight began flooding into the little cavern opening and the sound of delicate waves and wailing gulls made their way through the air.
Dinny's eyes opened through heaviness, still dazed from the hard night's rest.
"Aaahhh," he yawned quietly, seemingly unaware of his surroundings. "Spade.. I had the weirdest but most amazing dream last night."
He looked around for his old friend for a moment, only to see the inside of the cave and the beautiful assassin nuzzled into his chest, and then reality came back to him.
"That's right," he murmured with a soft smile. It wasn't a dream, though Din hadn't concluded if that were a good or bad thing just yet.
'I'll let her rest a little longer', he thought, gently untangling himself from the woman before getting to his feet and tip-toeing out of the cave to take another look around.
Rose was a light sleeper. She had to be. So when Dinny started to rise, shifting away from her, she jolted awake.
"Din?" She half sat up, blinking. "Something wrong?"
Well, he tried to let her sleep, at least.
Peering over his shoulder, his lips curled in a soft, amused smile. "Yes, I'm sorry. You're just so cute when you're asleep," he teased. "I was just going to take a quick look around and let you rest a bit longer. How'd you sleep?"
"Mmm." She dragged a hand tiredly across her face and bit back a yawn. "Gimme a minute, I'll go with you. You shouldn't be wandering out there on your own, s'not safe."
Dinny couldn't argue with that. He nodded, and turned away from her again to face the exit of the little cavern - better to hide the slight embarrassment of his morning wood. "That's a fair point," he said with his back to her. "Uh.. Just whenever you are ready. Take your time."
Rose paused, something in his voice catching her attention. She glanced over at him, noted the way he was studiously keeping his back to her, and smirked slightly as she got to her feet.
"Alright," she chirped, coming up behind him and wrapping her arms around him. She pressed her body close to his, nuzzling into the nape of his neck and letting her hands trail gently down his chest.
Counterproductive? Almost certainly. A little evil? Probably. Fun? Oh hell yes.
"H-Hey.." he said almost nervously, a tingle shooting through his spine as her hands made their way down his body. "What's that for?"
So now there was an issue. Already struggling with the morning wood, just the touch of Rose's hands, and her body pressed up against his, was making said wood stand at attention like a proper soldier should. Not that he was complaining, but they really needed to figure out a way to get off the island, and his mind was on everything but that.
Rose smirked and kissed the back of his neck. She let her hands come to settle on his hips, rubbing tiny circles with her thumbs. "Just saying good morning," she replied innocently.
"Is this how you say good morning to everyone, or are you just excited to see me?" he asked teasingly as blood rushed to his head in involuntary excitement. "You look really pretty this morning. How did you sleep?"
Clearly dazed, he had completely forgotten he had already asked her that.
She chuckled low in her throat and nuzzled at the curve of his neck and shoulder again. "Fine," she purred, sliding her hands forward along the dip of his hips to brush teasingly against the edge of his breeches. "You?"
She nipped his neck and added, "Maybe I just like you." Her smirk widened. "Or maybe I just wanna get laid again."
Dinny groaned in defeat.
"You are going to make me explode," he admitted through a heavy breath before whipping around and wrapping his arms around the woman's waist. He buried his face into the woman's neck, giving it a nip here and there as his fingertips gently squeezed at her hips. "I can't keep myself away from you. You're so... intoxicating."
Rose squeaked quietly, not entirely expecting his reaction, then laughed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "Well, a girl tries," she chuckled, letting her head tilt to the side slightly to encourage his attentions.
She'd mostly been planning on teasing him, nothing more, but she couldn't exactly say she was disappointed with the current outcome.
"I'm sure we can spare a few minutes," she murmured as she twisted her head to nip his ear playfully.
Gods yes!
He could have cried out in pure joy, but he suppressed his obvious glee by pressing his lips into hers, holding her in a tight embrace before moving his hands to hike the bottom of the woman's sharong up and over her thighs. "I can be quick," he said quietly after breaking from the woman's mouth.
"Mmm." She smirked into the kiss, blinking up at him. "But can you be quick and good?" she challenged playfully, helping him lift the wrapped fabric up over her hips with one hand while the other tugged at the hem of his breeches, trying to work them down.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that," he said almost cockily before moving to her ear for a quick nibble. Soon enough, his pants were back off, and he moved her quickly, almost desperately, until she was against the wall again and he had one of her legs hiked up to her torso, keeping it in place by wrapping his arm under it.
Rose laughed again, wrapping her leg around his hip and pulling him tight against her. "Then what are you waiting for?" she purred in his ear, dragging her nails across the small of his back.
She asked the question, and he answered. He made his way inside of her again, and that wonderful, drunken feeling of her and her bliss returned to him as he started thrusting in and out. It was quicker, more rapid than the night before as he now understood her body and what made it tick, causing a pleasure so intense that he completely forgot where they were.
With his free hand he cupped the back of her neck, moving her face forward where he rested his forehead on hers, eyes locked together.
She panted, lips parted as she stared into his eyes. “At the risk of inflating your ego,” she whispered raggedly, “you feel fucking amazing.”
It wasn’t just how long it had been since she’d had a partner— there was something more with Dinny, something about his intensity, like he was just so thrilled to be with her that the enthusiasm spilled over into every touch and kiss. It was close to intoxicating.
She was right. It did inflate his ego, just a bit. He bit as his lip, holding back what would be a rather large smile as he stared longingly into her eyes.
"Everything about you is fucking amazing," he finally said through his movements before the feeling of pure ecstasy was too much for him to keep eye contact. He buried his face into her neck, kissing and nipping at it in a desperate attempt for more.
Rose's breath hitched and she clenched her eyes shut, clutching at the back of his head. "Oh gods, yes," she whispered, something between a whimper and a groan caught in her throat. One hand buried itself in his hair, the other dropping down to grab his rear and pull his hips into hers with more force.
His face stayed buried in her neck as he continued to thrust, their skin slapping together fiercely as his adrenaline peaked. His adrenaline peaked, his heart grew faster and blood rushed to his muscles, but he couldn't stop himself. It was wild and it was crazy, and he loved every fucking second of it. She had become like a drug to him - his drug of choice.
He snapped his head back finally, lips parted and eyes resting on her as he growled with hunger.
That growl sent a shiver down her spine, and she moaned loudly, unabashed. "More, Din," she gasped. "Gods please, I need more."
Her growing volume only set him off more, and he increased his speed and his power beyond his own expectations. "Oh, fuck yes, Rose," he moaned right back that echoed through the cave. "Tell me how much you need it."
Dinny was reaching his peak, but he wanted to see it through until she was ready.
Rose panted, mouth open, and tossed her head back with another long, low groan. She wasn't used to playing the more submissive role in these situations, but she was too lost to the sensations to really second guess it.
"I need it," she gasped, grabbing at his shoulders. "I need you, Din, please— gods!"
"Oh fuck!" he moaned as she grabbed onto him with her nails, his mind on absolute fire at her response. "Oh fuck!" he cried again as he moved like a wild animal inside of her, his mouth open and jaw tight as he felt the pressure build up inside of his entire body.
"I need you, Rose," he said back to her through heavy pants. "I'm not going to last much longer."
"Me too," she gasped in response. "Oh gods, just-- fuck, fuck!"
In an attempt to muffle a scream, Rose bit down hard on his shoulder to muffle a cry of pleasure as her climax rippled through her body. She tightened her arms and legs around him, clutching him closer to her body desperately.
Dinny mirrored her climax, shouting out his own 'Fuck! as he released, probably a little louder than he intended to - but after that, there was no way of preventing it. He eased, slowing down to the aftermath of what turned out to be one of those most intense fucks he has ever had in his life, panting heavy, and arms wrapped gently around her waist.
He ducked his head toward hers and searched for her lips with his own, kissing her softly, but firmly, for a moment.
"Quick and good?" he asked through a heavy breath as his forehead rested atop hers.
Rose laughed softly into the kiss, breathing still a little ragged as she came down from her high. "Quick and very good," she murmured, pressing her forehead to his. "Gods, I could do that all day."
But they didn't exactly have time for that.
"Me too," he almost whispered with a soft, satisfied smile.
And he really could. He had never felt that way with.. anyone. It was wild and carefree, and they read each other so well. It was the perfect storm, one he could get lost in over and over again. He never wanted it to end.
But, of course, such things can never last forever, and the reality of their situation came sinking back in as the sound of something truly horrible rang through the stone walls of the cave: a third voice.
"They're in here!"
Rose's eyes widened and she quickly tried to disentangle herself from Din, hissing as he slipped out of her.
Immediately she was on the defensive, placing herself in front of Dinny as she twitched her skirt down from around her hips. "Who the hell are you?!"
"Yeah, who the fuck are you?" Dinny also demanded, whipping around in complete full-frontal fashion. Out of pure instinct, he moved in front of Rose in a rather protective stance, despite her best attempts to cover up his current.. situation.
The man smirked and held up his hands. He was definitely one of the natives, everything from his solid build to his sun-bitten tone told them that, though if he was apart of the original bunch that captured them Din couldn't be sure.
"First, I ask that the man put on his clothes," he said, keeping his hands in place and motioning below Dinny's waist.
"Shit!" Dinny said upon the realization, and scrambled for the pants he had previously dropped.
"Once you've done that, I'll ask you two to come with us."
Rose blinked. "You speak Common," she noted with a tilt of her head. "I tried talking to other members of the village, Common and Yoreiqi."
"I do," he confirmed. "A handful of us do, actually, though we typically don't use it around here. I'm originally from Ainu, but I've been here for a little over ten years now."
"W-What?" Din asked skeptically as he finished pulled his pants up to his waist. "If you understand us, then why did you attack us? What do you want from us?"
The man frowned. "I apologize for the behavior of some of my comrades," he said after some contemplation. "We do not take too kindly to unexpected visitors. We just want to live out our days here, undisturbed."
The bard slowly moved her hand away from the sheath at her thigh. "Honestly? Us too. We just want to get back home, to the mainland. We got kinda...shipwrecked."
"She's right," Dinny chimed in, a breath of relief present. "It's kind of a long story, but like she said, we lost control of our ship and wrecked here. We never meant you any harm; we just want to get the hell out of here and back to the Port!"
Dinny cast a quick glance as Rose and her sheath her hand had rested on and it reminded him of his own weapons. "Oh, and you stole my weapons from me. Could I have them back?"
The man bit his lip as if unsure what to say. After a few passing moments, he let out a soft breath and nodded. "I am sure that can be arranged," he said positively. "You'll have to come with me to get them then. And.. we can discuss how to get you home. We don't have much, but we can certainly try."
He turned on his heel to exit the cave, expecting them to follow willingly. Before he actually cleared the exit, he tossed another glance over his shoulder, at Rose, to her knife, and then back to meet her eyes again. "One thing. If you try anything, we will kill you without thinking twice."
Rose nodded, eyes hard. "Understood," she said coolly.
Trying to be a little more friendly, she added, "We really don't need much-- I fucked my wing up pretty bad on the landing though, so if you lot have got a healer around I wouldn't say no to a check up..."
The man actually offered a smile. "I'm the healer around here," he said matter-of-factly. "My name is Tamah. I can take a look at your wing in due time, but you'll still need to come with me. I believe your story, but that doesn't mean I completely trust you yet, and that's more than I can say for the others."
Din eyed him skeptically for a moment, but nodded in understanding. It may be easier than they thought to get off the island, but it still wasn't going to be that easy. "Just watch your hands, Tamah," the bandit said almost teasingly. "That's my lady."
Rose rolled her eyes and smacked his shoulder lightly. "I'm not your anything," she said wryly. "I belong to myself. No one else."
She nodded at Tamah. "Lead the way then. I promise we'll play nice."
Dinny lowered his head in defeat. Well, it was worth a try, but she didn't have to say it like that.
Tamah managed a small chuckle, amused at the two. "Very well, follow me," he said as he moved out of the cave. Just outside on the now sunlit beaches, more of the natives had gathered around, clearly ready to attack at a moment's notice. Tamah held up one hand as to signal them to stand down, and then spoke in a crackling language that sounded similar to Yoreiqi, and those that surrounded hesitantly, but sure enough, eased and moved out of their path.
"I told them that you were no threat to us," he informed them as he lead them back into the woods area. "Please don't prove me wrong."
If she noticed the way Dinny deflated slightly, Rose didn't react. She followed Tamah out of the cave, blinking slightly against the sunlight.
"What language are you speaking?" she asked curiously as she looked around, reasonably wary.
"It's a language devolved from Yoreiqi," he answered astutely. "Devolved or evolved, however which way you want to look at it. It comes from the Yoreiqi language, but not everyone here knew the language, and their attempts to learn it changed it, and it eventually grew into its own. That's all there really is to say about it."
Dinny followed closely behind, his arms folded over his chest as he eyes their surroundings wearily. He may have still been pouting, if he thought he could get away with it, but that ship was sailed and now he was more concerned for their safety.
Sure, Tamah gave them no reason for them not to trust him, but these people also knocked his face in with the brunt of a spear twice.
Rose fell back just a bit to walk protectively beside Dinny as they followed Tamah and his friends, eyes flickering about warily.
Despite her skepticism though, she knew these people were the best chance they had of getting off this island.
"Any ideas on how we can get off this island?" Dinny asked after several silent moments of walking, trying to stay close to Rose.
Tamah peered over his shoulder at the two with baffled eyes. "If I heal her wings, would she not be able to fly you two out of here?"
"Umm..." Rose bit her lip. "Maybe? Probably not, though. I can fly myself fine that distance, I think, but carrying someone?" She shook her head.
"I don't want her to have to carry me the entire way back, anyway," Din added after Rose. "We were thinking more along the lines of a raft."
Tamah nodded, considering. "A raft is entirely possible," he said softly as they continued through the forest, the little hut where they were previously held captive now in eye sight. "But I do not know how many men I could spare for that."
Rose shook her head. "No, that's alright, we can make it ourselves. I just need to heal a bit first."
Dinny kept his mouth shut, smiling and nodding in agreement with Rose, but groaning internally in hopes that they would have some help with the raft - the sooner they were off this island, the better.
Tamah stopped just short of the hut and turned around to face them with a sheepish smile. "This may sound a little strange," he started cautiously, "but can I ask you to go back in there and wait for a little while? I need to go over this with the other elders. I'll fetch your weapons while I'm out, and when I come back I can tend to your injured wing."
Rose glanced at her companion, shrugging. "Sure, we'll just...wait here."
"Right back where we started then," Din sighed. "Fair enough. I have fond memories in there, anyway."
Jokes aside, he trusted this time would be a lot different than the last. He gave Rose a quick smile and made his way to the hut.
Rose chuckled softly and followed after him. "Look, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but if that smile is asking for another quickie I think I'm gonna have to disappoint you," she murmured quietly.
Dinny grinned and shook his head, whispering back. "I don't know if I'm man enough to handle a woman like you for a third time in such a short time span," he winked as they moved into the hut. "Once we get off of this island, then we'll talk."
She sighed dramatically, "Alas, few men are," she lamented, then grinned at him playfully. "And I think you've got yourself a deal."
She ducked into the hut, glancing around. "Well...I guess we wait."
He pulled the door to as they walked inside, giving them a little privacy while they waited. Not ideal, but at least they weren't bound by ropes this time.
He turned to Rose and flashed her a rather sheepish grin, scratching at the back of his head. "That was a little embarrassing showing them all of me," he said, almost laughing. "I guess it worked out, though. At least I hope. I"m fucking starved - when we make it back, I may do nothing but eat for a week."
Rose giggled, arching an eyebrow. "Nothing but eat? Nothing?" She glanced down toward his waist pointedly. "Hm. That may change how the next person to get a look at all of you feels," she teased.
Dinny rolled his eyes, but it was all in good fun. "Well," he said in a low voice, moving over to her with a clever smile to wrap his hands around her waist lightly. "I think I know a good way to keep in shape in between me stuffing myself."
"Oh do you now?" Rose murmured, leaning back into his hands slightly, one eyebrow arched. "And what might that be? Hiking? Swordplay, maybe?"
"You could definitely call it swordplay in a sense," Dinny retorted with a boyish grin. "I have the finest sword in all of the land. Haven't you heard?"
"I understand. Thank you."
Tamah retrieved Dinny's knives and spoke briefly with the other elders or the island. He confirmed to them that they were not a threat to their people or society, and they agreed to leave them be as long as they could build a raft and leave the beaches by week's end.
He had a bit of pep in his step as he made off back toward the hut, excited to tell them the news.
"Oh, I've more than heard," Rose purred, slinking up to him and wrapping one arm lazily around his neck. She looked up at him through half lidded eyes, drawing her bottom lip just slightly between her teeth as she smirked.
Her other hand snaked around to grab a handful of his rear playfully, eyes glinting. "I'm well practiced with a blade, you know, when I need to be," she murmured as she leaned up to kiss him.
It was a hungry, fevered kiss, as many of the others had been, and she groaned quietly as she pressed herself against him-- she was so intent on the task that she didn't notice the door of the hut opening.
"Oh really?" he returned a playful voice before meeting her kiss. This woman was hells bent on torturing him, he thought, and he loved every second of it. He pulled her a little tighter into his embrace, caressing her lips with his own and completely phasing out everything around them.
The door swung open.
"Oh," Tamah said suddenly, clearing his throat as he stood in the doorway. His face held a light smile that was both amused and almost a little agitated. Amused because every time he turned around, these two outsiders couldn't seem to keep their hands off one another; agitated because he keeps having to witness it.
"Hope I'm not interrupting," he said.
Dinny didn't make much effort to break away from Rose as he looked over to Tamah, instead giving him a sly little smile. "Sorry."
Rose blinked, then giggled and peered over Dinny's shoulder. "Yeah, sorry. He's just incorrigible," she laughed shortly, very deliberately pressing herself more firmly against her companion's front.
"What she said," Dinny smiled innocently, completely oblivious to what the word meant.
"Right," Tamah eventually said, not amused. "I have spoken with the elders. We will allow you to build your raft and we will not cause you any harm while doing so. Unfortunately, we cannot offer you any assistance and we ask that you are out of here by week's end." He walked over to the little table in the corner Dinny had previously used to escape, and dropped the bandit's daggers on top of them with a heavy thud. "That gives you a little over two days to leave. Any longer than that and I cannot control any further actions of my people."
“Two days?” Rose pulled herself out of Din’s arms to stare at Tamah incredulously. “That’d be nearly impossible even if one of us wasn’t injured,” she pointed out, frowning.
["Nothing is impossible with a dream in your heart" - Bob Ross. Couldn't help myself xD]
Tamah smirked, though his eyes were a bit sympathetic. "Well, you better get started then," he finally said with a sigh. "I'm sorry. That's all I can do. If it helps, I can tend at your wing now."
Dinny stared at Tamah with his mouth agape for a moment. Two fucking days? That was all? He grunted in irritation before picking up his daggers from the table. "Fix her up if you can, then," he said as he started for the door. "I'll see what I can do in the meantime."
Rose knew there was no point arguing further, so she just sighed and nodded, turning to offer Tamah her back. "Alright. Thanks," she muttered, unwinding a bit of her sarong to let the fabric slide off her shoulder and bare her injured wing.
Dinny glanced over his shoulder right before he left the little hut to shoot Rose a reassuring smile, or at least that's what he tried to make it.
"Son of a whore," he cursed to himself as he made his way through the woods. "Hope I find some spare logs around here or I'm going to start cutting trees down."
Tamah stepped a little closer to Rose, eyeing her injured wing curiously. "Okay, that's not too bad," he said. "But it's going to take a little time. Here, drink this."
He removed a small hour-glass shaped bottle that stored green liquid and offered it up to the woman. "This will help with the pain while I work on you, and I must warn you," he stopped, smiling slightly. "It's pretty potent. You'll feel good."
Rose hesitated, staring at the bottle. "Um...how do you mean, good?" she asked warily.
"Well," Tamah frowned as he tried to find the right words. "It'll numb the pain. It will really numb the pain, as well as the rest of you. I've taken it myself, it's a very.. euphoric sensation. A lot of the others will sometimes use it for recreational purposes, if that helps."
He motioned for her to take it. "You'll be fine. I promise."
Dinny looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then used one of his daggers to start sawing away at a tree. "This is going to take forever," he groaned.
After a few minutes with no success, he stopped and his eyes lit up with an idea. Muttering a spell under his breath, sparks of flame shot out of his fingertips to burn just into the section where he was cutting, giving him easier access to push his weapon through the wood. "Don't mind me just cutting down one of your fucking trees. Hope I don't start a-"
Crack!
The tree tilted over as it started crashing to the ground.
"TIMBER!"
Rose eyed the concoction warily for a few more moments, then shrugged and downed it.
"Bleh." She wrinkled her nose and shuddered. "Alright. When should it start to kick in?"
"It hits people at different times, depending on their weight and their tolerance," he said dryly before looking her up and down. "For you, I'd imagine in about thirty seconds. So, shall we get started?"
Dinny glanced over the fallen tree with an all-too-satisfied look on his face. "That was easy," he bragged on himself to no one. "Cut this one up and we have half of the raft already."
He rubbed his hands together quickly before getting back to work.
'Rose will be so proud.'
Whoa boy.
Rose could already feel her bones going kind of limp. She nodded. "Do what you gotta do, doc," she murmured, blinking, a little wide eyed.
Tamah smiled softly as he saw the medicine wash over her face. "Just try to remain still for me," he said calmly as grabbed onto her injured wing. Luckily he had brought the medicine, because the way he held her wing would have no doubt caused her some additional pain.
He inspected the injury for several minutes before applying an oil that smelt like pines, and soon after that he muttered what sounded like a spell under his breath as he handled the wing.
It took almost thirty minutes to finish the procedure, but Tamah was soon satisfied and gave her a little pat on the shoulder. "You should be good to go now, though I advise you to take it easy for a while. That medicine will last for a few more hours, so why don't you sit for a bit? The man should be fine on his own for the time being, right?"
Tinkle Tinkle. Tinkle Tinkle Tinkle.
"Well, I feel better," Dinny said aloud, still mostly talking to himself as he tried to assemble supplies for a raft. He had never built a raft before, but surely anybody could do it. He had already managed to turn over two trees without catching the entire forest on fire or drawing attention from anyone. Amazingly.
Rose smiled lazily at the healer and nodded. "Yeah, I'll do that," she slurred, sort of slumping awkwardly to her feet.
"Whoa." She blinked, looking for the door. Had it always been just a little crooked? Whatever. With a mental shrug, she stumbled forward and out of the hut.
Sit. The healer told her to sit. She should go find somewhere to do that.
"A piece of parchment. Just a damn piece of parchment. That's all I need!"
Dinny had gotten himself a little distracted, and was pacing around with the thoughts of parchment and, "Something to write with!" he also said aloud. He cut down one more tree and decided that was enough, and somehow it led him to the idea that he wanted to write Rose a poem.
"It's got to be something from the heart," he muttered, stroking his chin and circling around. "Something sweet, but rugged, maybe a little humor too."
He paced some more.
"When the night sky... the night sky.." he mumbled. "Something about a pendant?"
He began to pace even more but then stopped, his brow furrowing. "Wait. Where is she? I wouldn't think Tamah would still be working on her wing."
He started off toward the hut.
The bard had found a small fallen tree that seemed to offer a nice enough place to sit near the outskirts of the village, and she plopped down with her back against the rough bark, tilting her head back to look up at the snatches of sky she could see through the thick leaves.
"Pretty," she murmured absently, smiling a bit.
Not at the hut. Neither was Tamah. Just where in the hells did she go?
Dinny huffed and left the little hut, looking around for any sight of Rose. What was worse is that Tamah or the other natives were no where to be found, either. Could they all be together? What would he do if he found somebody? "Excuse me, have you seen the most beautiful woman on the island?" he asked, talking to himself yet again.
He moved through the forest again, unknowingly circling back to the place where he had been cutting down trees, and that's when he spotted her.
A soft smile crept into his lips as he approached her. "There you are," he said before taking a seat next to her. "You get fixed up?"
"Dinny!" Rose let her head loll toward him and smiled in welcome, eyes wide and surprisingly open, albeit not entirely sober. "Hi! I missed you," she told him seriously, pouting a bit.
"My wing feels better," she added, looking up toward the sky again. "Sort of. I think. I can't really feel anything, so I'm not totally sure."
The bandit's heart leaped with joy and he moved a little closer to her. "Oh, well I missed you too, Rose," he said quietly, a little shocked at her words. She was typically a bit more reserved than all that. "And that's great. I'm glad you are feeling better.. I see you have found my handy work. I figured we could-"
He stopped as he took a better look at her glossed over eyes. "Wait a second," he said, straightening up and putting his hand on her shoulder. "What happened to you?"
"Hm?" She blinked up at him. "Nothing. Tamah fixed my wing, remember?" she said slowly, as though explaining something to a child.
Dinny laughed. He couldn't help it.
"And gave you some pretty fucking strong pain medicine as well, I see," he said, moving his hand up her back and to the back of her scalp as he lightly played with her hair. "It's the most adorable thing I think I've ever seen."
Rose pouted and shoved at him weakly. “I’m not adorable,” she grumbled. “You know how many people I’ve killed? A lot. It’s a high number.”
She huffed and slumped back against the felled tree. “Bad people,” she mumbled, almost more to herself than her companion. “Just the bad ones. I couldn’t sleep otherwise.” She closed her eyes and sighed. “I still can’t sleep, sometimes. I see them watching me. Blaming me.”
"Hey."
He twisted around to sit in front of her, placing both of his hands gently on her arms. "You are just doing your job. The people that you take care of are some of the worst imaginable, so yeah, they have to go. They deserve it, and you're doing the world a justice."
He studied her face a little bit. "What do you mean by blaming?"
He tilted his head a bit, unsure if the medicine just had her loopy with her words or if he just stumbled onto something real.
Rose shook her head, looking away. "They stare at me," she whispered. "The ghosts. I know they're not really there, but it's almost like I can see them, sometimes. They hate me. I killed them, and they want me to pay."
She laughed, high and thin and a little wild. "Because that's all it is, just this endless cycle. One day one of their children or lovers or brothers will kill me, and then someone else with kill them in revenge. It never ends. It never ends..."
Dinny's eyes softened as he looked on the woman he had grown quite fond of. "I won't let them," he muttered under his breath, mostly inaudible.
Standing up, he leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the forehead and moved back toward the trees. "You should rest a bit more," he said over his shoulder. "I'll keep working on the raft. You can watch me in action."
Never miss a chance to impress her, he thought, even in her current state of mind.
Suddenly cheerful again, Rose nodded and laughed. "You gonna do it shirtless?" she teased, leaning back against the felled tree a little more heavily.
Dinny smirked, pondering for a moment before he decided that was a great idea. With the sun out, it was a little warm anyway. "Sure," he said with a bit of cheer before removing his shirt and tossing it over in her direction.
He knelt down beside one of the fallen trees from earlier and put his knife to it. He had cut down enough trees, or at least he thought he did, so now he just needed to saw them up enough to build a suitable raft - whatever that may be.
Cutting away at the tree, he muttered another fire spell under his breath to singe the wood just enough for him to cut through it with ease.
"I think..." he trailed off in thought. "We're going to need some rope."
"You're so pretty, Dinny," the bard said suddenly. She folded her arms against the tree and let her head rest on them. "I've had ten...twenty...a lot of lovers. But you're definitely the prettiest."
Twenty?!
Sure, Dinny considered himself a connoisseur of woman. He considered himself that. That didn't mean he was any good with them, and the fact that things seemed to be going so well with Rose was incredible, and he refused to believe it was just because they were stranded on an island together. Knock on wood.
"You are the prettiest too, my dear," he replied cheekily, wiping away the thoughts that fluttered in his head. "You be okay to rest here for a bit? I'm going to try to find some rope to tie this wood together."
"M'kay!" Her voice was sing-song now, almost hinting at her "day job". "I think I'm gonna take a nap," she added through a yawn, eyes fluttering closed.
"You should definitely do that you beautiful songstress," he teased, picking up on her little melodic response.
Glancing over, he saw her sitting there with her eyes now closed. He smiled gently. She would be okay there for now, he thought. The natives were no longer a threat, and he was getting the work done much sooner than he thought they would, so the extra help wasn't immediately needed.
"Call out if you need anything, okay?" he said as he ventured through the trees.
"Mhmm..." Rose was clearly already almost dead to the world, hair pooled around her face and arms and she leaned against her makeshift seat, lips parted just slightly as she drifted off.
Not adorable, my ass.
He made a mental note to ask Tamah about the medicine for his own "healing" purposes.
He didn't say anything else, because he was sure it wouldn't get to her. Just let her sleep it off, he thought as made his way back to area where the hut resided. As he thought more about it, he had no idea where the natives typically stayed - the few times they've encountered them was on the beach, in the cave (which was on the beach), and in the hut. Hut seemed like safe bet, despite not seeing anywhere there before.
But he was in luck, and as he neared he spotted Tamah with a few others.
"Tamah!" he called out to him rather cheerfully. "The raft is going better than expected, but I gotta ask.. do you have any rope? I know you're not allowed to help and all, but could you at least help me with that?"
Tamah blinked at him for a moment, then murmurred a few words of his devolved Yoreiqi to his comrades before turning back to the bandit. "You could always try the binds we tied you up with in there," he said, his finger pointing in the direction of the hut.
"Well. Shit," Dinny whistled. "That's a great idea." He started off in that direction, but stopped with a heavy foot. "Oh, and whatever you gave to Rose, think you help me out as well? After all, your friends did almost break my face."
Tamah smirked. "I can't just hand that out so freely."
Dinny's eyes narrowed. "To be continued."
Rose woke by herself, with a significantly clearer head. Unfortunately, unlike with a night of drink, she remembered everything.
Everything.
“Oh, fuck me,” she groaned, dropping her head into her hands and rubbing at her temples.
Tamah was right.
The rope was still in the hut, and Dinny happily collected it for his little raft project. It was several minutes later when he made his way back to his working area in the woods where he found Rose, awake and face buried in her hands. She may have still been feeling the effects, he thought to himself as he approached from behind.
"Hey there, sleepyhead," he said playfully as he made his way back to the fallen timber. "How ya feeling?"
She raised her head to glower at him. "Oh, fuck off," she grumbled. "You-- you are getting far too much amusement about my indisposition."
"Oh, hey. You're back," he said with a hint of disappointment. "I was just worried about you. You mean to tell me you didn't mean any of those sweet things you said?"
He was half teasing and half serious as he knelt in front of the chopped trees to begin tying them together.
She stared at his back for several long moments in silence.
“I didn’t...not mean it,” she mumbled after a moment.
But that was treading dangerously close to real emotion, so she shook her head and smirked. “Gotta say, I definitely don’t mind the view.”
If Dinny's skin wasn't so tan (and getting tanner from the constant sun exposure), she may have seen him blush. Just a little. He grinned sheepishly at her for a moment. "Aw, shucks," he replied lightheartedly. "Well, take a load off and enjoy the view. I actually think I have the hang of this."
And he wasn't far enough. In a short period of time Dinny had managed to gather an appropriate amount of wood, cut it into fine, even pieces for the raft, and now he could move onto the rope before the trial and error stage of testing it. There was still much to do, but being out of there by week's end was seeming more feasible by the minute.
"Maybe I should just build rafts for a living," he teased. "Y'know, for shipwrecked folks such as ourselves."
"That, or you could just be a stripper," Rose snipped back as she got to her feet and moved up beside him. The last effects of the drug, those keeping her limbs rather noodle-y, seemed to have finally worn off.
She knelt to begin lashing the boards together, surprisingly deft at the work. "You should break for an hour or so, I can do this part."
"Maybe your stripper," he evaded with a smirk.
He considered her offer, and nodded in agreement. He could use a break. He had been at it for some time now. "Sure," he agreed and made his way over to the fallen tree she was previously using as support. "Just don't overdo it. You're still healing."
He plopped to the ground and folded his arms over his chest, smiling fondly at the woman.
She rolled her eyes as she worked. "It's my wing that's hurt-- doesn't stop me from tying ropes." She cast a quick glance over her shoulder at him. "Besides, Tamah does good work. I feel loads better already."
Rose worked quickly, lashing at least the base of a decent raft together in just about an hour. Sweating slightly from the work and the sun, she decided to take a break, dropping down beside Dinny and leaning back on her hands, lips parted as she panted lightly.
"Hey, look at that," he said quietly as he looked upon their progress. "We should be out of here in no time.. Back to Ainu."
He tilted his head back as he leaned, eyes staring to the sky through the limbs and the leaves. "Rose," he said abruptly, his voice hinting at more seriousness than he is used to displaying. "Are we going to see each other when we get back?"
She was quiet for several long moments, just staring up trough the trees.
“Loke,” she murmured after a long, heavy pause. “My birth name is Loke.” She turned her head to look up at him with a small smile, eyes tired and sad. “It’s the Yoreiqi word for “rose”. That’s how I picked my stage name. Aria Rose.”
Rather abruptly, she twisted so she was perched over him, one arm stretched across his torso to brace her palm on the ground beside him. “Know how many people know that?” she murmured with a tilt of her head. “Two. Me and you.”
Rose leaned in to kiss him softly. It wasn’t an answer to his question, but she hoped it was enough.
That felt good.
Dinny kissed back for a moment before easing from her lips, eyes delicately locked with hers. "Well I feel quite honored then," he whispered. "Can I ask.. you didn't like when you were called Loke before. Is there a reason?"
Before she could answer, he dipped in and gave her lips another peck. "Unless it's something you want to keep to yourself. You don't have to tell me."
Rose paused, considering before she answered. “My mother called me that,” she murmured after a moment. “My father too, but he usually called me Rosie. It’s just...strange to hear it from someone else.”
She frowned and ducked her eyes. “And it means he knew me, somehow. Knew about me before I was...before I was this. Aria Rose.”
She sighed and let her forehead thump against his chest, her whole body laying over his.
He moved his hand up to delicately play with her hair, eyes soft as looked just past her. "Well, whatever you want me to call you," he started in a soft tone, "is the most beautiful name in the world."
Cheesy Dinny. He could never quite help himself.
"It's funny to say, but.." he trailed off, trying to find the right words without sounding a little dim. "That name 'Aria Rose' sounds familiar to me. Like I've heard it before.. before we met."
She smiled a bit, though her face was still hidden against his chest. "You might've. Assassination doesn't pay as well as people think, I have another job. I'm a bard," she murmured, and pressed a light kiss to the top of his sternum. She really couldn't help herself. "Aria Rose is the name I perform under."
Dinny blinked.
He went to speak, but stopped.
He blinked again.
"I knew it," he said as the revelation hit him square in the face. "I knew I recognized you somewhere! I've seen you before." He smiled brightly, both giddy and content. "You're the one with the voice. I talked about you all of the time!"
Rose laughed, flushing slightly. "Wait, what? Really?" she said with a chuckle, finally raising her head. "Where? I mean, I kinda perform all over-- when did you see me?"
"Maybe a year ago," he explained eagerly. "Round when I was visiting my mother in Serendipity. That's why when I saw you at the tavern in Ainu, I dismissed the thought. Sound about right?"
She thought back, nodding. "Yeah, I think so." She chuckled and tilted her head. "So? What'd you think of the show?" she asked almost teasingly, leaning in to brush her nose against his before stealing a quick kiss.
He stole back the kiss she just stole from him playfully. "Oh, I'm a repeat fan," he admitted with a little grin. "How's about a show right now?"
Rose chuckled and sat back a bit, knees on either side of his hips. "Oh? Alright then." She shrugged, letting her wings fan out slightly. "Any particular requests?"
Dinny leaned back a little more, resting his hands behind his head and giving her a smile that was all-too-smitten. "Whatever you want is fine with me," he said honestly. He didn't care what she sang, he just wanted to hear it.
She tilted her head, then smiled and stood, taking a few steps back from him. Her wings spread out behind her, catching the light that filtered through the trees.
Bare feet tapped lightly against the forest floor, drumming out a beat. And she started to sing (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpWXtpqx1p4).
It was an old ditty, most of it in an archaic form of Serenian, and despite the oddly dark context the song was lively and fun. Rose grinned as she sang, clapping along to the beat and spinning on the balls of her feet, wings and wrapped dress floating around her.
((If you replace "Galway" with "Arca" the song works okay haha))
Dinny watched in awe and found himself both excited and content through the entirety of the performance. She was as exactly as he remembered, and he couldn't believe he wasn't realizing who she was until now.
He closed his eyes briefly as a breeze ran through his hair, and focused more on her voice.
It was wonderful, and he wished he could listen to her sing all day.
[Haha, I like it.]
As the song came to an end, Rose flopped down beside him again and dropped her head onto his shoulder, very slightly flushed, eyes sparkling.
"So? Thoughts?"
Dinny smiled brightly for a long while before shifting his face to kiss the top of her head. "Let's get married," he teased.
Maybe not the answer she was expecting, but he felt that said it all.
That startled a laugh out of her, and she tilted her head back to crinkle her nose at him. "I'm not exactly the marrying type," she replied with a chuckle, leaning up to kiss him softly.
And then not so softly. She let the kiss linger and shift into something a little greedier, hungrier. Her hands found themselves buried in his hair and she shifted around until she was straddling him again, skating her lips against his until-- she hoped-- he was thoroughly distracted.
Even if it was a joke, it hit a little too close to home. She couldn't have attachments like that, but it was slowly becoming clearer that the inevitable end of this little "vacation" might...hurt.
Man, Dinny was saying all the right things lately. He let his hands rest on her back as she kissed him, returning lips after a moment. If she was trying to get him worked up again, well, she was definitely going to succeed.
Unfortunately, they still needed to get off of the island and little Dinny needed a break.
He broke away and smiled softly. "Hey there," he said cheekily. "That was nice, but uh.. ya mind if I do some more work? I want to get us off of this island."
Despite his response, that didn't stop him from getting a handful of rear and tossing her a playful wink.
She laughed again and sat back slightly, carding her fingers through his hair. "Sure. I think we've just gotta make sure the whole thing is waterproof and then see if it floats," she said as she slipped off his lap, offering a hand to help him up.
He took her hand and got back up to his feet. Before moving away from her, he tugged her lightly into him using the their connected hands and buried his lips into hers once more, a brief moment of passion before they were forced back into reality.
Breaking away, he gave her another little soft, warm smile while cupping cheek with his hand.
Damn, Dinny felt happy. Maybe everything would work out the way he wanted to, whatever that might be.
Time to see if the raft worked.
Rose gave a soft, startled noise before she relaxed into the kiss, smiling a bit when they parted. She leaned into his touch slightly, turning her head to kiss his palm, before she pulled away from him.
"Alright, enough of that. We've got work to do here."
"Got more done than I thought we would," he admitted as he knelt down in front of it. It wasn't too big, but it was enough for the both of them. At least, size-wise. It was yet to be seen if it would be sturdy and put together enough to make the journey back to Ainu. "Just need to put a few finishing touches on it, then we can haul it out to the beach."
She nodded and moved to tie a bit of the extra rope around the front end of the raft, preparing to drag it once it was waterproof. "Alright, what's next?"
"I'm just going to check the knots and make sure we have enough leverage under the raft so we're not half-way sinking the trip home," he said as he made his way around the raft, tightening the binds and giving it a thorough inspection.
In truth, Dinny had no idea what he was doing, but based on the outcome it seemed as if they were on the right track. There wasn't much more they could do with the materials they had on hand and the time they were allotted.
"I think she's ready," he finally said after a few more tune-ups. "Can you think of anything else before we take it to the beach?"
Rose chewed at her bottom lip, then shrugged. "Honestly, this isn't exactly my area of expertise. But I think we'll be alright. Even if we spring a leak halfway back, worst case scenario we just use the logs as paddle boards to get to Ainu," she sighed.
Dinny laughed. "Yeah, me either," he shrugged and grabbed the rope attached at the raft's front before dragging it away. "Let's give it a shot then."
The bard nodded, grabbing another end of the tether with a soft grunt to help him haul the raft along.
"It's getting late," she noted, glancing toward where the sun kissed the sea on the horizon. "Are we gonna have to sleep in a cave again?"
Dinny gave off a mild shrug as they tugged the raft along toward the beach. "Might have to," he replied. "Unless you want to travel through the night."
Probably not the best idea, but the thought of the sun not beating down on them during their trip back to Ainu was at least somewhat appealing.
Rose shook her head quickly. "I don't think that's a great idea. The waters around Yoreiq can be...strange, at night."
"Yeah, I s'pose your right," he chuckled. "We'll have to leave first thing in the morning, then. Hopefully it doesn't take the entire day and night to get there by raft."
His eyes peered forward. They were almost to the beach. "And now that we're technically not their enemies.. I can ask Tamah if we can stay in that little hut tonight. Might be a little more comfortable than the cave."
"Mm." She shrugged and offered a crooked smile. "Better than a cave, I guess. Even if the villagers don't seem to like us much."
"Well, I have some pretty fond memories in that cave," he teased. "I spent one of the best nights of my life there."
Rose actually felt her cheeks flush a bit and she gave him a wry sort of look. "Don't you try to sweet-talk me," she laughed quietly, shaking her head.
"No ma'am, wouldn't dream of it," he replied.
Soon enough, they reached the shore, but the sun was not on their side. It was getting dark and doing any sort of testing would be difficult. Unfortunately, they didn't have too much time to spare. "Okay, let's get it in the water, I'll get on, and then you hoist me out there," he said. "I'll give it a go to make sure it'll work for us."
She nodded quickly. "Alright, if you're sure," she said with a short little shrug. "I could test it though, if you want. I can just fly away if the thing springs a leak."
It would hurt like hell, but she could manage it.
"And I can swim," he said confidently. "It'll be fine, I won't go out too far. Just enough to make sure it's going to hold."
He didn't wait for a response before pulling the raft to where the ocean met the sand. Giving it just enough leverage for the waves to take it away, he stepped onto it before sitting down and folding his legs over one another. "Okay. Give me a push."
Rose bit her lip for a moment, but nodded. "Alright, if you're sure." She bent down and braced her hands against the raft, pushing it into the surf with a soft grunt. Warm water lapped at her calves as she straightened up, watching the makeshift craft warily.
I hope this works.
"O-Okay," Dinny said in an almost surprised tone as the raft steadily drifted out into the more open ocean. He looked around him, noting the gentle waves slapping the edges of their creation. It was sturdy enough, it wasn't sinking, and it was level enough to hold him and most likely Rose as well. The only issue he could find was the remnants of water slightly coming aboard each time he made contact with a wave.
If the ocean decided to be a little more fierce come morning, they would be in trouble.
He could only hope for good weather.
Rose watched a little nervously from the shoreline. "You doing alright?" she called, stepping cautiously into the surf.
"Hells yeah!" Dinny shouted cheerfully as their raft held its own against the turf. "Getting worried about me?"
As almost if to brag, he shakily got to his feet to stand on the surface and placed both hands on his hips, chin up in the air with a proud smile on his face and-
SPLASH!
He lost his balance and face-planted into the water.
"Oh gods above!" Rose darted into the water wading toward him. "Dinny! You alright?"
Dinny surfaced with a gasp and immediately found himself trapped in a fit of giggling. "I can't believe I just did that," he snorted, grabbing the raft by the front and moving back to the shore to meet Rose half-way there.
He couldn't help but grin playfully as the two got close. "I'm alright," he reassured her. "Was just trying to show off and fell flat on my face."
Rose snorted even as she reached out to cup his face between her hands, checking him over for injury. "Why do I feel like that's not the first time that's happened?" she muttered wryly.
Before she pulled away, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips, eyes glinting, then snatched up one of the ropes for the raft. "C'mon, let's get this thing back to shore."
There was a smile on Dinny's face when he pulled away from his lips, and he nodded in agreement. "Yes ma'am," he said cheerfully as they tugged the raft back to the beach. "Good news is.. as long as we don't act like idiots," he said with heavy emphasis on himself, "this thing should get us back to the port just fine."
He let go of the rope as soon as they got the raft out of the water and took a quick look around. It was getting dark and there was no one around. "I can try to find Tamah and ask about us staying in the hut if you'd like," he said, eyes searching. "Unless you want to sleep under the stars tonight."
The bard tilted her head, considering. "I don't think there are any big predators on this island," she mused, "so it's not like we need to be sheltering from that." She shrugged. "Whatever you want, I'm not picky."
"Sounds romantic," he teased. "Let's do it."
One more night at the island. It wasn't the ideal situation he had found himself in, but it wasn't necessarily all that bad either. A part of him wanted to stay; in the short time that they were there, other than being chased and the damages done to his body, he was quite happy with Rose. He knew that feeling could only last so long, as much as he didn't want to admit it, so he may as well make the best of it while he still had the chance.
So for the night he decided against the hut, and decided against the cave, and found them a spot under a tree. They could still see the stars as they drifted into sleep, but wouldn't be awoken by the immediate burn of the sun.
"Goodnight, Rose," he whispered as his eyes met the night sky. "Tomorrow, we're out of here."
"Mmm." Rose was already drifting, curled in close to his side to share his warmth as the temperature started to drop. "Night, Din," she murmured.
Where was she going?
At that point, Dinny felt like he had been chasing her forever. He was running down a hall, a dark endless hall, in which the only light was illuminated off in an what felt like unreachable distance that just barely highlighted Rose's face. "Come back!" he called out to her as his feet slapped the ground in his pursuit.
"Outta the band, outta the crew," Rata said on the side as Dinny passed him.
"C'mon Dinny, come back home," Spade pleaded.
"Let's hunt treasure and knock off nobles like the old days," Regen cheered.
He finally reached the end of the endless hall, catching up to her.
"Hey Rose! Where are you going?"
"That's no longer any of your business," she replied sharply, peering over her shoulder at him. "We're off the island now, I'll ask you to leave me alone."
Before Dinny could react, the woman vanished into thin air.
---
Dinny's eyes shot open. What a
weird dream to have.
The morning came a little sooner than he wanted to, but he was more than grateful to be out of that dream. Glancing down, he watched Rose for a moment as she remained curled into his chest, unsure if she had waken yet or not. "I'm going to get the raft ready," he said after a few quiet moments. Giving the top of her head a quick peck, he gently untangled himself from her and made his way to the beach.
Half asleep, Rose groaned low in her throat and rolled onto her side as Dinny slipped away. She frowned and curled in tighter on herself, instantly missing his warmth.
"Nooooo," she whined quietly, groping the ground beside her as though expecting to find her bedmate. "C'mon, Din, don't just leave me here..."
There was soft smile on his face as he walked toward the beach. He couldn't help but hear Rose's little morning whine as he walked away from her. 'Don't worry,' he thought to himself as he began readying the raft. 'We'll be home soon.'
As he got everything in motion, he couldn't help but wonder what the rest of the Canary Crew were doing. Did they make it back home safely? Have they attempted to find him? Hells, have they thought about him at all? Rata could be a cold bastard but this was a low even for him.
"Heard from Spade?" Markus asked, leaning against the wall of their little hideout.
"Not since we got back," Regen admitted. She let out a heavy breath before placing her face into her hands. "He's still pissed. We shouldn't have left Dinny there to die like that."
"Probably not, but he knew what would happen," Markus replied softly, eyes closed in thought.
"Fuck'em," Rata grumbled from the corner. "He made his own bed. I told him what would happen. Him and that canary will be just fine on their own." The tone in the boss's voice was that of anger, but there were hints of remorse buried in the gruff. He folded his arms over his chest and spit on the ground. "Stupid boy."
There were several moments of silence between the three of them before Regen finally spoke again. "How's Jarvis holding up?"
"Still in healin'," the boss replied. "That guard really did a number on the poor bastard."
"And Ruby and the other guard?" Markus asked. "Any word from them?"
Rata managed to snort, chuckle, and sneeze into one motion. "Nope!" he barked. "Must've died out there."
Regen's face sunk even further into her hands. "Great. Now we're murderers too."
Rose eventually hauled herself to her feet and followed Dinny to help check over the raft. It wasn't perfect, but it should see them back to Yoreiqi shores. She sighed in relief and rubbed the back of her neck.
"Alright, first thing I'm doing when we get back? Taking the longest, hottest fucking bath in the whole world."
"Oh yeah?" he smiled as he pushed the raft into the water, grabbing the rope to keep it from floating off. "I could eat a fucking horse. After I eat something, not that obviously, I might join you."
Moving through the water he sat atop the wooden surface, legs still planted under the waves. He extended his hand to help her onboard and winked slyly. "Your carriage awaits, m'lady."
"Oh?" Rose blinked innocently at him as she climbed carefully onto the raft. "Awfully forward of you, trying to share a lady's bath," she sniffed primly. "Who says I'd even let you share?"
As she joined him on the raft he used his leg to push them off of the shore and soon enough they began floating away from the remote island. "C'mon Rose," he teased. "After everything we've been through, you wouldn't let me?"
He didn't have to wait for an answer before a small chuckle escaped his lips. He scanned the open ocean as they slowly moved over the calm waves before returning to her with a smile. Hopefully it would be enough to get them home.
((You wanna time skip soon?))
"Oi, scoot over." Aria shrank back from the water a bit, her wings pinned tightly to her back. She knew if she got too much saltwater on them they'd be useless, and she liked having the backup of flying if it was necessary.
((Yeah! I'll write the trip back.))
Dinny smiled softly and moved over enough for Rose to sit comfortably on the raft. It wasn't the greatest form of transportation, but it worked. The trip back home was a longer, more uncertain one than the trip there, but they made it nonetheless.
It had been mostly a quiet trip, at least for Dinny who by nature tends to talk until he runs out of breath, but that could be understandable given the previous events. It took the entirety of the day and the sun had begun to fade from the sky, and his lips curled into a weak smile and he let out a soft breath of relief as he saw the familiar lights ahead.
"Thank Gods," he whispered as the raft splashed through gentle waves.
The Port of Ainu.
"I'd say that again," Rose agreed emphatically, perking up as the shore came into view. She grinned at Dinny, tilting her head. "A real bed and a bath seem awful close, huh?"
Dinny returned the grin and placed a hand on one of her knees. "You got that right," he replied as they neared the docks. "Do you have a place to stay tonight? You're welcome to stay with me. My place isn't far from the tavern we met at."
"Oh." She blinked several times, slightly taken aback. "Um...Yeah, okay. That'd be...nice. Thanks." She cleared her throat and glanced away, suddenly feeling inexplicably sheepish.
Seeing Rose's slight embarrassment was cute, and almost felt like an accomplishment. This was now a complete one-eighty from the Rose he met back on the ship.
Dinny smiled playfully and nodded. Taking the rope at the front of the raft, he wrapped it around one of the poles supporting the docks and tied a knot in order to keep them stationary before pulling himself onto the docks.
"C'mon, then," he said as he extended an arm to her. "Your bath awaits, m'lady."
Rose laughed softly and took his hand and used him to help balance herself as she stepped up onto the dock. "Gods, you better be ready to follow through on that." She smirked. "I'm not exactly carrying a lot of coin on me at the moment."
"Follow me," he replied with a tired laugh.
Just as he said, Dinny's home wasn't far from the docks. He couldn't help but scan his eyes around the village surroundings as they walked through the night, looking for any sign of one of his companions that left him for dead. Not that he knew what he would do when he saw them.
And then there was the issue of Ruby and the other guard - the one Rose didn't kill. He really had no idea if they were still alive, and if they were if they had made it back at all. That would be another thing he would need to be careful of.
The thoughts in his head made the trip almost instant, and soon they arrived outside of his front door. It wasn't much, but it had what Rose was promised. "Here we go," he said before swinging the door open.
Rose felt her shoulders slump slightly in relief as they made it to the little house. She hadn't even realized how tense she was until she suddenly wasn't. With a small smile for Dinny, she nodded and crept cautiously passed him through the door.
"This is..yours?" she asked after a moment, voice uncharacteristically soft and almost...wistful.
"Yes ma'am," he replied giving her a soft hug from behind, letting his arms gently squeeze around her waist. "This is mine."
Giving her a quick kiss on the back of the head, he let go of her and made his way toward the back. "I'll prepare a bath for you," he said before exiting to a small hallway in the back. "Make yourself at home!"
"Oh. Um...thanks." Rose looked around almost cautiously, steps light as she made her way around the small house, finding a bed and what appeared to be a dresser. It was all just...normal.
It was nice.
Slowly, she followed the sound of water and footsteps to find Dinny, approaching softly and wrapping her arms around him from behind.
"Thanks," she repeated, voice muffled against his back. Her chest hurt.
This was so, so bad.
The only thing Dinny could really think about was sleep. Food, sleep, and repeat. So much that he really didn't pick up on the subtle clues of Rose's behavior. Instead he just smiled, leaning his head back as she embraced him from behind. "Don't worry about it," he replied. "Let me know if you need anything else. I'll get the bed ready for us."
Gently removing himself from the woman's grasp, he stood and turned heel to head back into the main room.
"No, wait." She hung onto his arm, frowning slightly as she looked up into his face. "Don't worry about the bed yet. You should eat something, you must be starving."
Dinny laughed softly. "I could eat my fingers I'm so hungry," he admitted. "I'll see if I have anything laying around that I can whip up for us. Take your bath, pretty lady."
Rose nodded slowly and turned to the bath with a relieved sigh, unwrapping her sarong and letting it drop to the ground as she climbed into the warm water.
Gods, it was heaven. She groaned quietly as she let her muscles start to relax and leaned back against the side of the tub, eyes closed.
Dinny had already made his way out of the room by the time Rose undressed and entered the tub. Eyelids heavy and vision slightly blurred, he stumbled tiredly over to the kitchen area.
Not much around.
No surprise there.
"Maybe I'll just lay down for a second before deciding what to eat," he yawned. Turning away from the cabinets, he walked on sore feet over to the mattress before collapsing onto it without warning. Ahhh.
Dinny was asleep almost instantly.
Rose spent longer in the bath than she really meant to, and by the time she got out she was starting to worry that she hadn't heard from Dinny.
"Din?" she crept cautiously toward the main room, then the bed.
Oh. He was asleep.
A soft breath of relief escaped her, followed almost immediately by an annoyed huff at the realization that she had been...worried.
This was really getting out of hand.
With a quiet sigh, she shook her head and climbed into the bed beside him, still a little damp from the bath. Oh well, he'd just have to deal with it. Despite her exhaustion though, she didn't sleep, just stared up at the ceiling.
What am I going to do?
Dinny didn't stir when she crawled into the bed with him, but his hand unconsciously found it's way on top of hers.
His eyelids stayed closed and his breathing deep and relaxed, all the muscles in his face and body were totally at peace. Not a twitch, not a spasm, barely any movement of his chest rising and falling with each intake of air.
Nothing would wake him that night.
Rose slept briefly and fitfully, perhaps only a handful of hours. When she woke, her fingers had tangled with Dinny's, her whole body curving toward him on the bed, twining their legs together. It felt nice.
She had to go.
Slowly, carefully, she disentangled herself from her bedmate and sat up, looking down at him for a long moment. "I'm sorry," she murmured eventually with a soft sigh. To her surprise, she actually meant it.
Just as carefully as before, she leaned down to kiss him, letting the touch linger for a moment, before slipping from the bed and wrapping her sarong carefully over her body.
Then she was gone, slipping out the door and into the dark morning.
It would be several more hours before Dinny woke up that morning. The sun peaked through the windows and cast over him, his face warm with the new day as his eyelids gently slid open. It was the hardest he had slept in a while, and he couldn't help but feel that he slept better in the little cave a few night's before. Moving to sit upright, he was greeted with a low, long growl of hunger gnawing in his gut, the emptiness that needed to be filled ever-present.
"Rose," he mumbled while rubbing the crust away from his eyes. "Sorry. I fell asleep last night before I could make anything." His stomach growled again, almost whining, and it was followed up with a slightly embarrassed chuckle. "Okay, okay, I get it," he said mostly to himself. "Wanna hit the local pub? We can grab some-"
He stopped and looked over to the empty section of bed next to him. "Rose?"
Where did she get off to?
Not thinking much of it, he sighed as he made his way off of the bed. He let his feet clumsily guide him through his house, glancing about the open area before making his way back down the hallway to look for her. "Rose!" he called again, a little cheer making its way into his voice, "C'mon! I'm fucking starved."
Not in the guest room. Not in the bathroom. Where could that girl be?
The cheer in his expression suddenly dimmed as realization sunk over him.
Gone.
She was just... gone. She just left. In the middle of the night, no doubt. He had a brief thought that maybe she was just out for a stroll, but he quickly wiped that away as he knew better. Deep down inside he knew this would happen, but it didn't make it any easier. He never thought it would be so... hard.
"The fuck Rose," he muttered under his breath, a sudden wave of both anger sinking into his chest. First he was kicked out of the band, now she was gone too. Fuck.
Quickly changing into a fresh set of clothes, he started to the door when..
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Rose!
A sigh of relief escaped his lips and he quickly rushed to open the door. "Rose?" he guessed aloud as the door swung open.
It wasn't Rose. Standing there was his old comrade, fellow member of the Canary Crew, and life-long friend, Spade. He should've been happy to see his friend, but after what happened to him back on that ship, and back on that island, and now this, happiness and relief was the furthest thing from his mind.
"Who's Rose?" Spade asked. "Gonna invite me inside?"
Securing passage back to the mainland was easy enough, and almost before she was ready Rose found herself staring back at the slowly retreating shape of Yoreiq from the deck of a smallish ship, the wind playing with her hair.
Her chest felt tight, but she put it from her mind, turning her back to the horizon pointedly and reaching into her bag-- which she'd collected from the inn where she'd been staying before this whole mess-- and pulling out her newest contract.
She had a job to do.
It had been several weeks since he last saw her, yet that didn't make it any easier to put Rose from his mind. In fact, with each passing day, the more he missed her. He knew he shouldn't, she was using him from the start, and sure, they had a moment back there on that island, but that's all it was. They were two separate people living completely different lives. He was foolish to think anything could happen past that.
It was nice catching up with Spade and getting the story from him. He was ready to throw a fist to each member of the Canary Crew, but he was relieved to know that his longest friend had no part in leaving him behind.
He was also relieved to hear that Jarvis didn't die back on that ship, and was even glad to see Rata's stupid face after the anger subsided.
"Dinny hasn't been the same since that chick dumped'em," Markus said, taking a swig of his ale from than usual tavern table. "Been mopin' around-"
"Oh shut up, Markus," Din interrupted, though not with his usual flare.
"He's right," Regen chimed in, placing her chin in her hands. "This isn't like you. You're not one to let some girl getcha down like this. Just swallow that shit and try again!"
"Oh, let'em cry!" Rata barked. "Serves'em right!"
"Aw, c'mon, boss!" Dinny replied, banging a fist on the table. "Lemme join the crew again. We'll steal treasure like we've always done!"
Rata folded his arms over his chest and gave him a disapproving look. "Treasure, eh? Why, there ain't that much treasure in this world, boy." He huffed and shook his head. "No. If you can't even capture a canary, you ain't got what it takes to be in this crew."
The young bandit fell short of a response, and instead crossed his own arms and looked down to the floor spitefully. Maybe he deserved it for screwing up the job.
"Fine," the boss spoke again after several moments. "I'll give you one chance. There's a job-"
"A job?"
"Let me finish!" he barked. "A job I've deemed too dangerous to be worth sending any of my crew. You're not part of the crew anymore, so you can knock yourself out. If you can get this done, you're welcome to join us again."
"Okay," Dinny said slowly, leaning in. "I'm all ears."
It had taken more than a month to track down her current quarry, and she still hadn't managed to get close enough to actually pull off the job. She'd gotten close a couple of times, but something always stopped her. A witness, or it wasn't really the right time of day, or...something.
She wasn't going soft.
She wasn't.
Straighten up, girl. Focus. Rose took a breath, shifting back on her heels as she watched her target cross the taproom of the tavern he'd been visiting. He'd be heading home soon-- she had his schedule memorized by now-- and that was when she would make her move.
She had to. She had to do it today.
Dangerous, my ass.
Dinny rifled through the target's bedroom almost carelessly. There wasn't a guard any sight, no sign of the target, no sign of anyone, and sneaking into the household was all too easy. Finding the jewel, on the other hand, was not. After several hours of an empty house and nonstop searching, he was beginning to feel the grip of defeat.
It wasn't here.
That means the man was probably carrying it with him, and Dinny would have to wait for him to return. Quickly and carefully, the young bandit put everything back the way he found it and positioned himself in a closet in the hall.
Now to wait.
Tracking her more-than-a-little tipsy prey back to his home would have been both time consuming and pointless. She knew his routine, she knew his route. So, once he'd left the tavern, she took a shortcut, ducking in and out of alleys as she made her way to the rather lavish home he occupied.
The second hall on the second floor. That would be the best place to strike; it offered the least chance of escape.
Aria Rose easily picked the lock on the lower floor's back window, climbing inside and shutting the window behind her before she silently made her way up to the second floor, pacing down the by now familiar halls.
Will you ever know your own home this well?
The thought was disturbing and unwanted. She shoved it away, scowling to herself as she moved toward the closet she'd staked out before. Cliche? Perhaps, but it was effective nevertheless.
Knowing her quarry wouldn't be home for another half hour at least, she wasn't as alert as perhaps she should have been-- so she didn't realize someone was already in the closet until she opened the door.
And came face to face with the man who'd been haunting her for weeks.
Her eyes widened.
"The fuck?!"
He waited in that closet for what felt like a dreadful amount of time, but in reality it wasn't much more than a half-hour. He was ready to stretch his legs when he heard the footsteps in the house, and he immediately pulled his blade and prepared for an attack if needed.
It was alarming that he didn't hear the front door open. It was even more alarming that he didn't hear the footsteps until they were just a little down the hall, and even those footsteps felt purposely quiet.
Does this bastard know I'm here?
The footsteps were getting closer.
Shit! Shit! I'm going to have to fight this guy!
They were just outside the door.
Gripping the hilt of his dagger, he took a deep but silent breath in anticipation of his attack.
"The fuck?!"
The door swung open and he was met by the face he had been longing for for weeks, and her startled yell and unexpected appearance was enough to surprise him right back.
"The fuck?!" he echoed her before involuntarily jumping back, his head and backside slamming against the wall.
For perhaps the first time in her life, Rose was completely and utterly without a clue.
"You— But— how— what?!"
The dagger in her hand trembled, her grip so tight her hand was shaking slightly. A thousand thoughts flashed through her mind, and her brows furrowed into a scowl. "You idiot, what the hell are you doing here?" she demanded in a harsh whisper.
But she couldn't stop herself, and before she even let him answer she'd grabbed ahold of the collar of his shirt and yanked him forward into a brief, fierce kiss.
Oh gods...
She'd missed him.
Dinny's eyes shot closed almost involuntarily as reality washed away from him, feeling her lips against his from the brief kiss that felt longer than it actually was. When it was over, that distant reality came crashing back in.
"W-What are you doing here?!" he whispered. "Where have you been? Where did you go? Why are you-"
Dinny was cut off by the sound of a door creaking open downstairs, and he quickly grabbed the woman by the arm and pulled her into the closet space, closing the door behind her.
"C'mon in!"
The bandit's target had just arrived home, and from the sounds of the following footsteps flooding the below chambers, he was not alone.
Fuck.
Oh shit.
Shit shit shit.
Biting back a snarled curse, Rose allowed him to pull her into the closet, pressing them both back against the wall and quickly controlling her breathing to remain as quiet as possible.
And she waited, because what else could she do? She certainly couldn't risk speaking. She could only hope Dinny knew what he was doing.
Gods dammit.
Dinny had no idea what he was doing. Trying to be quiet in this small of a spot was going to be hard, especially with Rose - the one he had longed for - was now stuck in the closet with him. The footsteps grew louder, and became more developed as the flood of his target's guests paraded down the hall.
He listened closer, and their slurred speeches and obnoxious cheers revealed one thing: they were drunk.
Hopefully he could use that to his advantage.
He shuffled quietly around Rose so that he was nearest to the closet door, letting his fingertips rest on the doorknob as his tried to peak a look through the crack in the door.
Rose held her breath, not daring to move a muscle. She had no real idea what Dinny was doing here, but given how they'd met, she could take a guess or two.
But her job...well. She rather hoped she could convince the thief to leave before she completed it.
Here they come.
Oh well. They were almost in arm's reach, there were too many of them for him to sneak around or go after the host individually, and he was looking for another reason to impress Rose anyway - as mad at her as he may have been.
He shot the woman a quick look of cocky reassurance, took a steady breath, and barged through door using all of his body weight.
SLAM!
Dinny came stumbling out of the closet with the finesse of a three-legged horse, drawing himself enough attention to shut the door behind him - hiding Rose in the process - before crashing to the ground. With a fit of laughter at his own expense, he pointed a clumsy finger at the party guests. "Thereyouare!" he slurred, trying for his feet. "Beenlookingalloverforyaeverywhere!"
The thief's words tumbled from his mouth in a rush of barely distinguishable syllables, and he had hoped it would be enough to convince the group of one of two things: that he belonged there, or that he was just a harmless drunk.
Oh, this fucking idiot.
What the hells is he thinking?!
Rose swore almost violently under her breath and pressed back into the corner of the closest as Dinny burst out into the room--he may be about to get his ass arrested, but she still had a job to do. One that meant she still needed to stay hidden, at least until her mark's guests had left.
You're so lucky you're cute, you tiny moron, she thought intently toward the thief; if there was any time for her to develop telepathic powers, now would be it.
"Who the hell are you?"
Dinny's target, the Noble Lord Albize, was quick to shout down Dinny after the momentarily confusion had faded.
Albize's guests had a variety of reactions ranging from puzzlement, intrigue, and amusement. Some shrugged it off, others had their guard one, and one or two even welcomed the new addition to the party. Hells, there were even a select few that thought he had been with them the entire night.
One thing he did notice now that he was front and center of the gathering was just how many guests Lord Albize had with him. They were heavily outnumbered, and not all of them seemed quite as drunk as he had believed prior.
Of course, if none of them were handy in a fight, Dinny's better-half hiding away in the closet could probably take them all out with ease, but Rata mentioned this mission as a dangerous one, and he was starting to fear he would find out soon.
The nobleman stepped forward with authority, leaning forward and grabbing the thief by his neck. "I said who the fuck are you?," he seethed, "I don't know you."
The grip was strong, but Dinny smirked in retaliation and pushed away from him. "Gonna have to catch me to find out," he mocked before turning heel and dashing away.
Those more intoxicated stuck around, but the others chased after him.
Dear. Fucking. Gods.
That's it. I'm morosexual. That's the only explanation, Rose thought to herself as she peered from the crack in the closet door, watching Dinny pull away and take off running. Some dozen nobles in various states of drunkenness stumbled after him.
The idiot was going to get himself killed.
"...Oh-- gods all damn it!" she hissed, and threw the door open to dart for the window, swinging herself out and twisting agilely down onto a first floor window frame before jumping to the street. One hand on the dagger at her hip, she took off after what was essentially the mob following Dinny.
She'd keep her distance, just watch. Make sure the moron didn't get himself into too much trouble. Then she'd retreat and wait a few days until Albize dropped his guard again and give it another go.
Rose gritted her teeth as she darted around a corner, sticking to the shadows as much as humanly possible. Damnit, Dinny, I am going to take it out of your hide if you cost me this job...
Fuck!
Clearly this wasn't the best thought-out plan the thief had ever had, but he was more concerned with luring the masses away from Rose than himself. Hells, he had been through worse.
Rata had to be fucking with me, he thought as he began to break away from his pursuers. So far, Dinny was able to easily outrun those behind him, and the only real threat he faced was being exposed as the culprit once he got away.
Quickly peering over his shoulder, the distance he was putting between him and the drunken army was becoming more comfortable by the second. He couldn't even see Lord Albize any longer.
He was so pleased with himself that he didn't notice that he, in fact, was beginning to slow down. Though it felt like he was dashing away down the long corridors of the estate, he was actually slowing to a sluggish job - and then to a heavy walk.
"Oh boy," he said, his head spinning. "The fuck is going.."
He couldn't finish his train of thought before the blinding white filled his eyes, his head so full of fog that he couldn't concentrate on anything. He dropped to his knees, and then flat on the floor, before feeling the hot, writhing pain of a blade sliding into his back.
Darting around the exterior of the state allowed Rose to keep a wary eye and ear on what was happening inside--mostly--while still giving her an easy escape route.
Which would have been just fine. If she hadn't paused beneath a first floor window and heard the distinct lilt of Dinny's muffled voice, followed by the thump of a body hitting the floor. A sound she could have identified anywhere.
"Shit shit shit!"
She didn't even think about it. Between one breath and the next, the assassin sprang to her feet and threw the entirety of her weight against the window pane, shattering the glass as she came tumbling through into the long hall and landed nearly on top of a prone Dinny.
Shit!
Her wings strained for a moment against their bindings, then tore through the cloth of both linen wrappings and tunic, arching out behind her back as she crouched next to the downed thief and bent protectively over him, one hand braced on the ground while the other brandished her dagger at his attacker. Her wings swept forward to frame them both defensively.
"Back the fuck off!"
Albize moved out of the woman's way when she appeared, Dinny's blood dripping off of the tip of his knife. As a smirk took over his lips, the drunken friends barreled in front of him, as well as the previously absent guards of the estate.
"Good luck," his voice boomed as he stepped away from the crowd.
The pain seared, his vision grew dark, and his entire body began to drip a cold sweat until he couldn't feel the sensation of touch any longer. It was mere seconds after when the bandit fell unconscious.
Rose's eyes darted from side to side, her brain whirling furious as she tried to come up with a good plan-- or at least a plan that wasn't actively terrible, which seemed to be about all she had on short notice.
She leaned left just slightly, trying to judge the distance to the end of the hall, and the hand supporting her weight against the floor suddenly skidded through something sticky and hot and wet. She swallowed thickly. She didn't need to look down to know that was Dinny's blood.
Stupid, stupid man.
Alright.
Terrible plan it was then.
Knowing he was unconscious and couldn't hear her, Rose nevertheless whispered, "You so owe me for this," as she scooped one arm under the thief's shoulders and lifted his upper body to press him close, awkwardly wrapping her other arm around his waist.
She looked from the window to the still slightly stunned crowd that was approaching ever more rapidly down the hall. She had maybe five seconds to do this.
"Fuck!"
With a shout that was partly a cry of effort and partly just sheer frustration, Rose once more threw herself through the now shattered window and out into the open air, snapping her wings open wide almost before she'd entirely cleared the frame. Broke glass sliced into her flesh and feathers but she ignored it, gritting her teeth and beating her wings fiercely to carry herself and Dinny up toward the rooftops.
Aria Rose was not an accomplished flyer-- in fact, the most flying she'd ever really done had been about a month previously, when trying to save the unconscious man she currently clutched to her chest from drowning. She figured she could get them maybe a few houses down, land on a rooftop, and hop the darkness and confusion would be enough to buy them some time so she could patch Dinny up.
It still hurt like hell. Her wings were severely underdeveloped, and every beat sent fire zinging through her muscles. Panting, she collapsed to a shingled rooftop maybe a dozen houses away down the street, trying to take the brunt of the graceless landing on her shoulder and then rolling a few lengths, tumbling awkwardly over an unconscious Dinny until they both sprawled to a stop.
You know that feeling you have when you on the edges of sleep - the sudden sensation of falling, the heavy drop that snaps you back to reality only to realize that you are still in your bed? That was the feeling Dinny had surging through his body, but he wasn't in his bed, and it lasted much longer than the split second one would normally experience.
His mind was almost absent, but he knew he was falling.
It was after the two settled that the man's eyes shot open, that feeling striking him awake, only to immediately be overcome by an enhanced pain he hadn't felt in some time.
He knew she was there and that they were no longer at the noble's estate, but he couldn't pinpoint where they were at. He could smell her lovely, familiar smell, and sense her near him, but he couldn't see her.
He couldn't see anything.
His eyes were glossed over, but otherwise there was no indication that he had lost his sight.
Still, he couldn't see anything.
"R-Rose," he winced. "I can't.. I can't see anything. What's happening?"
The bandit's normal qualities of cheer, cocky, and happy-go-lucky were wiped away. He was terrified.
Fuck.
Groaning, Rose rolled onto her knees and crawled toward him, reaching out to touch his hand lightly before her hands moved up to his shoulders, then his face, turning his head from side to side so she could look at him.
"You're hot," she hissed, her eyes narrowing. Too hot. Feverish. And...had he just said he couldn't see?
The tremble in his voice lanced through her chest in a way that she hadn't entirely expected, and it shook her to her core. "It's-- It's gonna be okay, Din," the assassin whispered. Carefully, she gathered Dinny up in her arms, one hand pressing to the wound in his back in an effort to slow the bleeding while her eyes flickered over him, searching for any sign, any reason why he may have lost his sight, why he was so hot.
Poison was the logical answer. She knew a few toxins that damaged sight. But when had he been poisoned? Where?
Rose didn't even realize she'd been murmuring until a soft tremble in her own voice caught her attention: "It's okay, Dinny, it's okay. I've got you, it's gonna be okay, you're gonna be fine, you're okay..."
Her free hand slipped down from his cheek, fingers brushing over his neck-- wait. There! A pinprick, just the tiniest wound, but she knew it would have been enough. Movements sharp and jerky, she bent her head and pressed her mouth to the tiny prick, brow furrowed and eyes clenched shut as she sucked, then lifted her head and spat blood.
Please, please let this work. She dipped her head to suck out another draft of poison, then again, and again...
"You are the one that is hot, my dear," Dinny managed to say, trying for a laugh in the moments that could very well be his last. At least, that's how it felt.
"I don't want to die," he groaned, not realizing he even uttered the words.
As the woman sucked the poison out of him, he felt the tingling sensation of toxins being drained from his body; like a bad hangover that finally let up after a full day of migraines and nausea.
"I think it's working," he whispered. What was working exactly? He had no real idea what was going on, but he knew Rose was taking care of him.
That was the last thought on his mind before the man slipped back into unconsciousness.
"You're not going to die!" Rose winced herself at how loud her voice suddenly was. Gritting her teeth, she spat a last mouthful of blood to the side before ripping a strip of fabric off the hem of Dinny's tunic, working quickly to bandage the wound in his back.
"You're not going to die," she repeated, quieter but still fierce. If you die now, then there was no point. If you die now, then the fact that I left means nothing, and--
And that was terrifying.
Dragging the unconscious thief back to the inn where she'd rented a room and somehow getting them both in through the window was no easy task, but eventually she managed it.
Which meant some three hours after her attempted job, Rose found herself all but collapsed back against the headboard of the bed, Dinny sprawled out beside her, fresh bandages wrapped around his torso and a blanket tucked up under his chin. Her eyes fluttered as she fought to stay awake.
Maybe I can just...close my eyes...for a few seconds...
Death.
That's what the bandit felt like anyway. He never really feared dying until it almost happened. The pain that came with it made him feel like he'd be better off dying. Yet here he was, alive, thanks to Rose he assumed.
He couldn't really remember much. Intrigue, excitement, confusion, dizziness, pain, darkness, Rose. The events were primarily a blur, but he couldn't forget her.
When Dinny awoke, he was immediately met sharp pain that coursed through his bones. "Fuck," he groaned. He wanted to move, if anything to rub his eyes awake, but it hurt too much to even attempt it.
"..my face," his groan continued.
Opening his eyes, his vision was blurry, but - though he could not remember the time where he couldn't - he could see again.
Having been dozing on and off, Aria Rose was just conscious enough to chuckle quietly when she heard Dinny's voice.
"Maybe later," she groaned, pushing herself off the headboard and twisting to look down at her...patient? "Hey." She smiled softly and reached out to touch his cheek gently, almost cautiously. "How're you feeling, Din?"
Dinny managed a smile, though it hurt like hells to do so.
"Wonderful," he lied, not trying to hide it. "Sorry Rose. Looks like I got you into another bind."
She narrowed her eyes at him, pressing her hand to his forehead. His fever seemed to have broken at least, thank gods.
"Yes, you did," Rose replied curtly, the earlier concern and warmth to her voice suddenly gone. "What in the name of all gods made you think charging out like that was a good idea?"
Her mouth was drawn in a tight line as she glared down at him. "You're not immortal, Dinny. You're going to get yourself killed doing stupid shit like that. You nearly just did!"
"Better me than you," he said absolutely. "Not much place for a thief without his band. You, at least, have some things going for you."
Dinny's usual cheerful demeanor was replaced with an unusual, solemn wash - his eyes heavy in thought and his expression none too happy. "I don't get it," he said, placing his hand over hers. "Why'd you leave?"
Rose's whole body went taught. Better me than you.
Every inch of her being rebelled against that one sentence, but she didn't have time to berate him about it before he was asking that one question she'd been really hoping he wouldn't ask.
But of course he had. She couldn't blame him for it, she just...wished he hadn't.
The assassin stared down that his hand over hers. Slowly, she drew hers away, then settled it lightly on his chest with a small, tired exhale.
"Because I like you, Dinny," she replied after several long, quiet moments. "I...liked you too much."
"You left," he started weakly. "..Because you like me?"
He withdrew his hand from hers, sighing before closing his eyes. There was no pretending that he needed to rest because he actually needed it. Still in pain, and this woman was talking riddles. Riddles!
No. He understood.
"I'm glad I got to see you again then," he said quietly, eyes still closed. "But if this is too much for you, I won't try to stop you."
Rose felt her heart twist awkwardly in her chest. She closed her eyes. Damnit. This was exactly what she'd been trying to avoid.
She took a breath, two, and forced the sudden surge of emotion in her chest to die down. She didn't have time for that. "Get some rest, Din," she murmured, lifting her hand from his chest to card her fingers through his hair gently. "I...I'll be here when you wake up, okay?"
Aria Rose waited until her strange bedfellow had well and truly fallen asleep before slipping back out of the room and into the night, daggers in hand. Her eyes were hard as she prowled the streets back toward Albize's manor.
He was alone in his study when she found him, dozing at his desk. She woke him with a quick slash to the cheek, clapping her other hand over his mouth as he started awake with a cry of pain.
The nobleman was surprised to see her; she'd known he would be, of course. What assassin in their right mind would make two attempts in the same night, especially when the first had failed so spectacularly?
Her blade pressed against his throat. Angry, terrified eyes gazed up at her. Voice rasping, he hissed, "Why?"
Rose smirked. "Because someone paid me quite a bit to leave you bleeding." She pressed her dagger more firmly against his skin, a thin line of red welling over the metal. Leaning close, her smirk suddenly morphed into a snarl and she added in an almost sweet whisper, "And because you hurt my friend."
Steel flashed. Scarlet washed across the desk.
The assassin made few promises, but she always kept them. By the time Dinny would wake, she was back in bed, curled onto her side with her wings unbound as she dozed beside him.
Dinny was such a stud.
To think that this woman, this absolute knockout of a woman, would stay by his side in his time of need when she clearly had a job to do back at the Noble's estate.. Well. He must have been doing something right, he thought.
As he awoke, he felt the warmth of her skin pressing up against him. Peaking through the dust in his eyes, he saw her, and moved to let his hand rest on top of her head, gently and affectionately playing with her hair.
There was no need to wake her. He was just going to enjoy this while it lasted.
Though Dinny's movements were soft and gentle, Rose was a light sleeper, and she blinked awake within a few moments of him stroking her hair.
Yawning, she pushed herself up onto one elbow and blinked tiredly, glancing around, instinctively looking for danger though she knew they were in her own rooms.
She looked to Dinny again. "...Morning."
"Hey, good morning," he said, fingers still motioning through her hair. "I didn't mean to wake you."
Dinny yawned and tried to stretch, but a jolt of pain immediately traveled up his spine because of it. Ouch. The expression on his face said it all - he was still in rough shape. But, at least he was in good hands now.
"How brave of you to rescue me, m'lady," he teased. "How long was I out for this time?"
Rose snorted and rolled her eyes. "A few hours." She gave another little groan and sat up properly, stretching her arms upward and arching her back in a languid stretch. Settling, she glanced at him sidelong. "How are you feeling?"
Even as she asked the question she stood from the bed, briefly leaning over it to feel his forehead. Fever seemed to have broken, which was a good sign. She pulled away briskly and moved toward a chest at the foot of the bed to start hunting through for fresh clothes.
"Like the luckiest man alive," he replied, sitting up. Still painful to do so, but much easier than the last time he tried nonetheless. "I could run a marathon, or at least pay you back for taking care of me. Perhaps a bite to eat, or something a little more physical."
And Dinny was back in full form, smiling from ear to ear as he eyed Rose with intent and admiration. "But seriously," he continued. "I've got to go back to that estate at some point. I do have a job to do, after all."
His optimism almost tempted a smile from her, but she managed to keep herself in check. A task that was made abruptly easier when he mentioned going back to the manor to finish his job. Her expression abruptly tightened and she straightened up quickly, slamming the chest closed harder than was really necessary.
"I'd give it a few hours," she said coldly, turning from him so she could dress. "The city watch will have cleared out by then to start their investigation into the count's murder."
The second the words were out of her mouth she winced internally. Damnit. Well, he'd have found out one way or another, it just suddenly struck her how...cold she sounded.
Dinny couldn't help but laugh.
"Well," he exhaled. "I s'pose I should've known."
Though it took him by surprise, though it shouldn't have, the bandit wasn't mad. Hells, that bastard was the reason he was in the condition he was in anyway. It would make it all-the-more easy to go in there and take the prize now, especially in his condition.
The real question for him was did he even want to bother going through with it? Rata put him up to the task so he could rejoin the band, but.. why? Why would he want to do that? Did he fear isolation, and crave acceptance, so much that he would again and again put his life at risk for that old bastard?
"Sounds good," he finally said, smiling weakly. "Maybe I'll give it a day or so."
Rose was quiet for a few moments, lacing up the front of her tunic and flexing her wings back against the fabric experimentally, seeing if it was going to be too uncomfortable to keep them bound all day.
"Why?" she asked eventually, still not looking at Dinny. "What's the point in going back now? What did he have that you need so badly?"
Dinny looked softly at the woman's wings. He really loved her wings. He wish she would just unbound them.
"It's not what he had," he started. "It's what it would get me in return. The Canary Crew. What's a bandit without his crew, y'know?"
He sighed.
"I guess you don't know," he admitted. "I don't really know why either, anymore."
He was right. She didn't know. Her life operated on the opposite principle-- the more attachments she had, the greater risk both she and the people she cared for were in.
"So your crew thought sending you to your death was a good way to bring you back into the fold?" Her voice had gone cold and hard; out of sight, her hand clenched in the hem of her tunic so hard that her knuckles went white.
"Not the crew. Just Rata."
It was always Rata. The man who practically raised him. Dinny had a hard time believing that he even knew what danger he put the bandit through, but if he did - and he intended to find out - there would be absolute hell to pay.
"Rata, huh?" She thought she remember which of his crew that was. The old man. Her eyes dropped as she bent to make sure the sheath fastened to her upper thigh was secure and hidden.
"Well, I assume you know where that lot is. When you get back to them, just tell them your job got interrupted by the abrupt assassination of the count." She shrugged as she straightened up, finally glancing over her shoulder to him.
Don't do it. Don't say anything. Just let him go. That was better, for both of them. Sure, Dinny was an idiot, and all evidence suggested he was going to get himself killed doing something stupid and reckless, but at least it wouldn't be because of her.
...That did not make her feel any better. Damnit.
"When I get back," he repeated in uncertainty, not yet decided if that matter was up for further discussion or not just yet.
He had waited long enough.
He leaned over to her, placing the tip of his finger on her chin before his lips found hers.
Rose sighed against his mouth, and for just a moment allowed herself to lean into the touch, eyes fluttering closed.
But only a moment.
Placing one hand gently on his chest, over his heart, she turned her head away from the kiss. "We can't, Dinny," she murmured, not looking at him. "This... It doesn't change anything. My job is done. I have to leave."
That should have been the end of it. She should have turned her back, grabbed her bag, and been out the door. But she couldn't make her feet move, couldn't force herself to step back-- she couldn't even pull her hand back from his chest.
"Even if it doesn't change anything," he said, trying to keep any form of impatience at bay, "it doesn't change how I feel about you. So, I don't get it, Rose. I don't get why you think you have to leave. If I'm such a gods damn burden-"
He stopped himself. There was that impatience he was trying to avoid.
"I just don't get it," he repeated - a little defeated, a little hurt, a little angry. "But i'm not going to burden you, if that's the only choice you think you have."
He got out of the bed, wincing with every movement he made that reminded him that he had previously been stabbed in the back. "Come find me if you ever want to get stranded on an island together again."
He started to make his way to the door.
Before he could take more than two steps, Rose's hand shot out and her finger's curled around his wrist, grip almost painfully tight.
"You stupid, stupid man." Her voice shook, though even she wasn't quite sure if it was from anger or the threat of tears. "If you think you can-- you don't get to--"
With a noise close to a snarl she suddenly jerked on his wrist, twisting as she did to all but throw him back to the bed. Eyes far too bright, she pinned his wrist on the mattress above his head while the other hand supported her weight as she leaned over him. "Do you not get what I am, Dinny? I kill people for a living! Bad people, but that doesn't mean they don't have friends, families, business partners, whatever, people who are rightfully pissed when my target gets murdered."
It wasn't just her voice that shook now. Her whole body trembled as she restrained herself from...from...from doing gods only knew what. Slapping him, maybe. Or possibly kissing him again.
"Yes," she hissed, and the brightness in her eyes was now clearly tears. She hated it. She hadn't cried for anything in years, what gave him the right to pull this from her now? "Yes, Dinny, you are a burden. You weigh on my heart in a way no one has in years, in a way that no one should. What happens when you get too close to me? What happens when someone tracks me down, looking for revenge, and they find you?"
Another angry snarl and she suddenly pushed herself away, whirling from the bed and wrapping her arms around her torso, feeling like she was trying to physically hold herself together. "I know I hurt you. And I am sorry for that," she whispered. Her eyes were clenched shut as she fought back sobs, though the threat of them was now all too clear in her voice. "But you don't get to act like you're the only one hurting. I'd rather have you heartbroken and alive." She took a breath, tried to steady herself. It didn't work. "If you're going to go out there and get yourself killed anyway, fine. At the very least it won't be because of me. I won't have your ghost on my conscience too."
Her voice broke and she pressed her hand over her mouth, shivers wracking her frame as she fought down the urge to scream and rail and cry. It's not fair, it's not fair, it's not fair, IT'S NOT FAIR!
It wasn't. But it was a life she'd chosen. She had no right to grieve it.
Dinny was stunned into silence. After she pulled away from him, turned away from him, and poured her heart out to him.. Well, he didn't know what to say. He had never seen Rose like this before. He really didn't think it possible for her to even be this way. She was so much calmer, more collected than he had been.
He could give her a whole speech. Don't worry about me, Rose! or I'll be fine! Come find me if you need someone to talk to!
But it would all be a lie.
He understood where she was coming from. He did now, at least, but it didn't matter. He couldn't- He didn't- He really didn't want to lose her.
But for the first time in maybe his entire life, he was at a loss for words.
So instead he approached her from behind, wrapping his arms around her gently and letting his cheek rest against her own.
Aria Rose broke.
A soft noise that was almost a lamenting wail was strangled from somewhere deep in his chest and she spun in his arms. Her lips came crashing down on his as the tears she'd been so desperately fighting back spilled down her cheeks.
One arm wrapped around his waist while her other hand clutched at his hair and she held him against her like he was the only solid, real thing in the world. She walked them back a step, toward the bed, and as she did her knee slid between his and she pressed against him with a sound very like a whimper caught in her throat.
Because fuck it. For now, for this moment, she didn't care anymore. No one had made her feel the way he had in a long, long time. She didn't even care that they really didn't know all that much about each other-- something had connected between them on that island, and as much as she wanted to deny it she craved that connection like it was air and she was drowning.
Her reaction surprised Dinny, but he didn't care. Why would he? This. This is what he wanted. It was what he needed. His addiction to Rose could only be fulfilled by her touch. Before, back on the island, he felt that connection - but he also felt so much lust for her. Now, he just felt passion.
He kissed back, letting her cheeks dry on his own, and soon found his hands wrapped around her lower back - bringing her closer into him than she already was.
"I think I love you."
That's what he thought to himself at least.
Wait, no. He said that out loud!
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
She froze.
Standing at the edge of the bed, pressed so close together there wasn't even a breath of air between them, tears still drying on her face, Rose just stared at him with her eyes wide and lips slightly parted.
She had no idea what to say to that. She couldn't risk thinking about what to say to that.
She didn't speak for a long moment. She couldn't; even if she'd known what to say words just seemed suddenly impossible.
So she kissed him again, her hand at his waist moving up to cup his cheek in her palm as she walked them back one more step so the backs of his knees fetched up against the bed, then gently pushing him down onto it. Still unable to summon proper words, she did her best to map out an answer over his skin, dragging her kisses down along the line of his jaw to nibble lightly at the soft skin beneath his ear, then moving to his neck.
Her hands slid down to the hem of his shirt, then under it, teasing gently at his bare skin as she moved her touch agonizingly slowly back up toward his chest.
I can't. She wished she could say it aloud, wished she could tell him, but it was like the words stuck in her throat and choked her. I can't love you, Dinny. I can't risk loving anyone.
Somehow, impossibly, can't did not seem to mean that she didn't.
And her body betrayed her, her logical answer spinning uselessly through her mind while lips and hands seemed intent to burn the very memory of her into his skin.
...Maybe she didn't hear him?
No. She had to have heard him by her reaction. Maybe she just didn't feel the same way, or perhaps she just didn't know how to respond at all. Either way, it really didn't matter to the love-struck bandit. He said it, it was out there, and though initially he thought it was a mistake, he was now glad he said it. It was true. He loved her.
Her lips caressed his neck, and the tingling sensation of pleasure shivered through his body. Wrapping his arms around the woman in a gentle but firm hold, he twisted around, suddenly and unexpectedly, landing him on top of her as she was now the one with her back on the bed.
"I love you," he said again, not only with confidence this time but with authority. "I love you, Rose."
He moved his hand under her tunic, feeling her soft, warm skin on his fingertips.
Rose gasped and arched her back as he flipped their position. She found herself panting as she looked up at him, her lips slightly parted and eyes hazy with a surge of desire. Her breath caught when he said it again— I love you.
She shook her head slowly and drew her bottom lip between her teeth, reaching up to hold his face between her hands so she could take a moment and look at him.
Her lips quirked up in the ghost of a wry smile. "That," she told him quietly, "is spectacularly unfortunate luck for you."
She pulled him down for another hungry, passionate kiss. Her hands moved to grip his shoulders, then down further to the hem of his shirt, sliding her fingers under to press against his skin. "Dinny..." Her breath was almost ragged as she fought to hold herself in check, feeling as though she balanced on a razor's edge between desperate passion and utter desolation.
Please just hold me. But she couldn't ask that, so she arched up into him again and rocked her hips demandingly against his, clinging to him with a crushing, frantic kiss.
Fuck.
That's what he wanted to do. He wanted to fuck her senseless right there. It felt so good, and it hurt so good. Unfortunately, what they were doing definitely made him hurt even more. Again and again he was reminded of his injuries, but given the circumstances, he would momentarily forget - or at least push them aside.
He knew better this time, though. Kissing back, he lowered his hand out from underneath her tunic and rested it gently on her cheek. "Don't think I can this time," he said quietly, almost embarrassed. "I'm still in a lot of pain, and.. well, I'd rather not disappoint you."
What the bummer that was, and at his own fault, but it was the right thing to do. He could bang his head against the wall over it later. Gently, he moved from on top of her to lay on his side, wrapping his arm around her waist and nuzzled into her like an adoring puppy.
"Oh. Oh shit, Din, I'm sorry." She sighed, irritated with herself. She'd gotten so caught up in the rush of emotion that she'd entirely forgotten just how hurt he was.
Rose curved around him when he nestled into her side, stroking one hand up and down his back while the other sank into his hair. "You should try to get some more sleep," she murmured. "Once you can walk around a bit, I can get you to a proper healer."
She fell quiet. Her whole body still felt flushed and shivery, and she couldn't deny there was a voice in the back of her mind screaming at her to just bolt.
But gods she was tired. She was tired, and it just felt nice to have Dinny curled against her, their legs tangled together in a strangely easy intimacy while he nuzzled into her neck.
Dinny laughed into her warmth. "It's okay. Really. Trust me, if I could, I absolutely would, and it would be something to write home about."
After that, he fell quiet too, listening to her breathe as he rested against her. It felt a little awkward, but not enough to ruin the mood. He told her he loved her, and that was true, and now it was out in the open. Any lingering nerves around that could have been fucked away, but since they didn't.. now he was left with them.
"If you're gone when I wake up," he teased, his voice hoarse as he let his eyes close, "I will hunt you down. Count on it."
Rose laughed quietly, her voice still rough with tears both shed and unshed, and she tightened her arms around his shoulders.
“I’ll be here,” she whispered, and pressed a kiss to his brow.
She waited until she felt his breath even put, until she was almost positive that he was asleep. Then she sighed and pressed her face into his hair. “...I want to love you,” she told him, praying that he was truly unconscious. “I want to love you, Dinny.”
A part of really did think she may be gone when he woke up, this time much harder to find (if he would have even of been able), but he was happy to feel her nuzzled into him as he woke up from his pain-induced rest yet again.
He peaked his eyes open, unsure if the woman was asleep or not.
She was there, though. With him.
His stomach growled, and if the woman had been sleeping, there's no way she would be now. "Fuck I'm hungry," he said, cautiously leaning up.
He was surprised, but he was already starting to feel much better.
She came awake with a small start, momentarily panicking when she realized someone had their arms around her and she was restrained to a bed.
But then memory returned and she sighed, relaxing back against the mattress again. She shot Dinny a wry smile when his stomach growled. "Yeah, we should probably eat," she chuckled.
Sitting up and attempting to disentangle herself from him, she suddenly paused, her eyes having latched onto her pack in the corner of the room. She licked her lips, head tilted a bit as she turned several unfortunate realities over in her mind.
She'd had a breakdown and tried to scare him away.
Dinny had said he loved her.
She thought...she thought she might love him.
And none of that changed the fact that she still had to leave.
"Agreed," he said early. He gave her a quick peck on the cheek before slipping out of the bed, amazed at his ability to do so with such ease. Rose did a good job taken care of him. Like she said, they'd probably need a proper healer to treat him soon, but for now at least he was able to move around.
And have an appetite.
"Let's go into town," he said with a grin. "What are you in the mood for?"
Rose snapped her eyes toward him and was silent for a long moment. Then she huffed and stood as well, stretching her arms out in front of her body lazily.
"I'm in the mood for you to calm your hyper ass down and let me take you to a healer," she replied blithely. Tilting her head, she added in a slightly softer, sweeter tone, "There's a place not too far-- I could just bring you food there."
Dinny nodded in agreement, but couldn't pass up a chance to tease her just a little bit.
"Too scared to be seen with me in public?" he asked, a dry smile flicking at his lips. "Oh! I get it. Don't worry! Those other ladies don't mean a thing to me! You're my one and only, Rose."
She rolled her eyes and reached up to thump the back of his head lightly as she moved passed him to the door.
"Don't say stuff like that," she huffed. "You'll start to take yourself seriously. Come on."
She bumped the door open with her hip and waited for him to follow, one hand perched on her hip and the opposite eyebrow raised. "I don't imagine it feels good to have a knife wound in your back. Unless you're even more of a madman than I realized."
"You don't have to worry about that," he chuckled. "I'll never take myself seriously."
He didn't bother answering her other statement. Of course he felt terrible with the knife wound, it was obvious enough by the way he moved and the grimaces he made. That, and he knew that was just her way of caring about him. She wanted to see him healed, and it was all too cute. Cute, and thoughtful.
I love you.
He thought back to the words he spoke to her earlier. She never responded. Not verbally anyway. Yet, she was still with him. That had to account for something!
Thinking about it too much just put him in a state of inner conflict, and in that moment he just wanted to get something to eat, get healed, and enjoy her company.
"Okay," he forfeited. "Lead the way."
"Thank you." Another roll of her eyes as she shooed him through the door-- but she slipped her hand into his as he passed, the movement almost unconscious, and she kept her grip steady as she lead him back through the halls of the inn, down the stairs, and out through the main taproom.
It went against her instincts to move about so openly, but she told herself that no one was watching, no one suspected her of her crime-- and certainly no one suspected Dinny. Perhaps the one thing would have had going for him in her line of work was that he exuded an aura of Who, me?, and it somehow seemed to actually work.
She all but dragged the thief down the street to a nearby apothecary, hardly bothering to knock at the door before shouldering it open.
"Oi, Ives! I know you're open; I've got a favor."
"Alright, keep yer hair on!" A rather hunched but surprisingly young man bustled out through a curtain that must have concealed an entrance to a back room and into the shop proper, peering suspiciously at Rose over his square spectacles. She smiled and he scoffed at her.
"What d'ya want?"
Dinny's stomach growled and he squirmed in front of the man to try to dampen the rumbling. His hunger was ever-more present now, and it had been gnawing at him more and more as the day went on.
"I think that explains it," he said sheepishly before his stomach made another go for attention. "Got anything to eat? I think my life depends on it."
The man, Ives, just stared at him. "Idiots aren't usually your type, Aria," he noted drolly.
Rose glared. "Just shut up and take him to the back, would you? I'll be back with food, but he's hurt bad. He needs someone to look at him." Turning to Dinny, she added, "Ives is one of the best healers in the city." One of the best poisoners too, which is how they knew each other. "And he owes me a favor," she tossed over her shoulder with a meaningful look.
The apothecary glowered and grumbled, but stepped forward to take Dinny's arm. "Come on, then," he grunted. "I'll get ya cleaned up while Aria fetches yer breakfast. Just don't go touching anything, alright?"
Gods. Dinny was so hungry he thought he was at a cafe. Odd for a cafe, he thought, but a cafe, nonetheless. He nearly forgot about his wounds.
"Right," he said, tuning back into reality. He let Ives lead him to the back, glancing over his shoulder only once to see Rose off.
Maybe it was in his nature as a thief, but he did want to touch some things he saw along the way.
As though sensing a thief's twitching fingers, Ives snapped, "I'll only warn you once, boy. Trust me, Aria's not so good a lay that she's worth losing a hand."
Quite aside from a man who couldn't have been more than thirty calling anyone boy, Rose took a bit of offence to that particular comment. "I will have you know that I am exactly that good a lay!" she called after them as Ives all but shoved Dinny into the back room. With a huff, she shook her head and slipped back out onto the street in search of food.
In Ives's back room, the apothecary gestured toward a stool with a grunt, evidently telling Dinny to sit. "Right. Where're you hurt, exactly? And how come you're so bad off that Aria wants me to lookit you but you could still manage walkin'?"
If Dinny had more energy, or more give-a-damn in that moment, he'd probably smack him one for the snide little comment about Rose. But his stomach rumbled once more and he was reminded again that the only thing on his mind was food.
Where's the hurt? Oh! Right. Healer.
"Hurts like a motherfucker," he said, gritting his teeth as he removed his shirt and motioned over his shoulder. "And I'm just that good."
He could still be a smartass if he wanted to.
Ives quirked an eyebrow. "Are ya indeed?" he muttered as he moved around to have a look at the wound. Under his breath, he added snidely, "Suppose you must be, if you've managed to get Aria "Ice Bitch" Rose to give more than half a damn about you. This is gonna hurt."
With no more than that cursory warning, he shoved a pre-threaded needle into Dinny's back and set to work sewing up the wound, dabbing a disinfecting poultice over it every so often.
It took Rose about half an hour to get a hold of some decent food-- meat pies from a particular vendor's cart that she'd loved since she was a girl, though of course she'd had to be careful about acquiring them-- and returned to Ives's shop. She didn't even bother to announce her presence before poking her head through the curtain into the back.
"How goes it?"
Dinny had all but lost his appetite as Ives worked on his wounds. He was right, it did hurt. It hurt like all hells.
He was gritting through it when he heard Rose's voice, and smelt something oh-so-delightful. "Hello beautiful," he said, eyes a little hazy.
Ives snorted behind him. "And y'know, I didn't even give 'im any painkillers to make 'im loopy enough to say that," he told Rose dryly.
The assassin shot him a dirty look and made a rude gesture in his general direction as she ducked inside. "Hey, Din." She managed to summon up a smile and hooked another nearby stool with her ankle so she could drag it over and plop down in front of him. "Here. Brought you something."
She held out the paper-wrapped pies.
Dinny smiled through a pained expression on his face, and took of the pies. "You're the best," he said with a bite already being chewed in his mouth. "You know, Me and Ives here got along great while you were out. I'm pretty sure he'd be up to snuff if we ever decided to form a crew or something."
He finished eating one of the pies, swallowing the remains and breathing out a sigh of content. Obviously, he didn't mean a word he said about Ives, but he was having all-too-much fun messing around with the man.
"Maybe he could be our butler or something," he added, looking at Rose intently.
Rose snorted, rolling her eyes, and Ives grumbled something uncomplimentary under his breath before giving his last stitch just a bit too firm of a tug, then tying it off.
"Ah, go fuck yerself," he muttered. "And Aria? We're square. Next time, you pay me."
"Yeah, yeah, I gotcha." Rose waved him off, then looked to Dinny again. "Finish that," she encouraged, nodding to the pie. Her lips quirked in a half smile and she added, a little softer, "We've got your real crew to get you back to, right?"
Dinny shrugged, and then obliged. After finishing the pie, he looked up at Rose.
"I s'pose so," he said with some uncertainty. "But you're really all the crew I need, Rose."
Oh gods she wished he'd stop saying things like that. It made her heart twist in a way that was both painful and wonderful, and she really didn't know how to react.
So she just smirked and tossed her hair over her shoulder as she stood. "Eh, one person isn't much of a crew. Besides, they're your friends, aren't they? You should at least let 'em know you're alive." She held a hand out to him and cocked her head. "Think you can walk okay? Or should we find you somewhere to rest?"
"Anywhere but here!" Ives muttered, and she promptly flipped him off.
"I was hoping we'd stay here with Ives," Dinny lied blatantly as he rose to stand. "And I can walk. You're right. Spade will be worried. Regen too."
He peered over his shoulder and flashed Ives a grin - somehow a mixture of both mocking and gratitude. "Thanks Pops, 'til next time."
The apothecary glowered and muttered under his breath as he shooed them out. "...show you Pops...stupid little...irritating...may as well just...shows what I get for doing favors..."
Rose rolled her eyes at him but didn't bother replying, linking her arm through Dinny's as she led him back out onto the street. "I assume you know where they're staying?"
"Yeah, I have a general idea," he nodded, most than willing to let her support him as they made their way through the streets. "It's not far from here."
He lead the way the best he could. The Canary Crew changed hideouts quite often in the Port of Ainu, but they had their favorites they would always return to. One in particular seemed to always go unnoticed, so he opted to try their first.
Before too long, they were ride outside the old wooden door. "This is it," he said quietly, cautiously.
He felt nerves rise into his throat, almost as if he were up for an audition. He wasn't sure why - these were his closets companions, his long-time friends. Maybe he was just angry. Maybe he didn't want to go back. Maybe he thought this was the last stop before Rose left again.
He didn't immediately open the door. Instead, he turned to Rose and leaned in, an abrupt, passionate kiss landing on her lips - soft and wet with desire, but firm with the love that he felt for her.
He broke from her. "Okay, now I'm ready."
"Mmph!" Rose jerked, startled, but she didn't try to shove him away. She could feel how much he needed the contact through the kiss, and her arms came up to wrap around his shoulders gently just before he broke away.
"Alright there?" She quirked an eyebrow and smirked at him, but there was a hint of genuine warmth to her eyes. Her hands moved to rub at his shoulders, the best approximation of a comforting gesture she could manage. "Look, it's gonna be fine. I'm...right behind you, okay?"
"Oh, I know," he said, now grinning. "Let's do this."
Without a warning, he kicked the door open and stomped inside with authority and a certain confidence that demanded attention.
And attention he got. The whole crew was inside, and they jumped to their feet when they saw the bandit parade in. "Dinny!" they all seemed to shout simultaneously, some happy and some surprised.
"Alright you bastards," he shouted, though it was most endearing, "I'm back!"
Rata stood from his table to look cautiously at him. He hadn't seen him since he sent him off on that impossible task alone, and that were days ago. "Thought you were dead, boy," he huffed, widening his arms to embrace him in a hug.
Din decided against that, and instead, upon reaching his boss, gave him a swift kick in between the legs.
Aria watched from the doorway, a small smirk on her lips as Dinny was received by his friends. The familiar, friendly warmth her eyes had held when it was just the two of them was gone, but she had reverted quite all the way back to the "Ice Bitch" Ives had dubbed her.
She snorted when the old man went down, clutching his crotch, and sauntered over to prop her arm up on Dinny's shoulder. "I'm gonna go ahead and assume that one's Rata?" she noted, tone almost bored.
"That's the one," he replied to Rose with a smirk.
"Dinny! You okay!"
"Where were you?! We didn't think we'd see you again!"
Spade and Regen, Dinny's closest friends in the Canary Crew, surrounded the bandit and the assassin. Markus and Jarvis hung back, mostly startled and a little confused as to what was actually happening.
Of course, it wasn't out of the ordinary for Dinny to kick Rata in the balls. It wasn't the first time it had happened, and it probably wouldn't be the last.
"Rata sent me on a suicide mission," he announced before throwing his arms around the two. He couldn't help but smile. He had indeed missed them. "But don't worry, I managed to survive like always. Y'all remember Marian?"
He opted to use the name she introduced herself as, rather than her real name, for her sake.
"Mm." With another chuckle, Rose stepped back to allow Dinny's friends to hug him and knelt in front of Rata, holding out a hand as though to help him up.
Her fingers wrapped around his wrist and she pulled him in, close enough that he wouldn't be able to miss the flash of the dagger hidden in her sleeve, a very deliberate warning. Lowering her voice so they others couldn't hear, smile firmly in place, she whispered, "You ever decide again that he needs to prove himself by risking his neck? I'll break yours."
Her eyes were dark. She meant it.
Then she stood, hauling the older man to his feet before pushing away from him--perhaps a little more forcefully than was necessary. With a laugh she turned to wrap her arm around Dinny's shoulders again, and the playful glint was back in her eyes. "Don't suppose they'd have much cause to remember me," she teased, playing up the false accent she'd used when they'd first met.
The band was cautious, and rightfully so. No member of the crew had ever really brought an outsider into one of their hideouts. Sure, Dinny's brought women he's dated and momentary friends around in the past, but never a hideout. Especially not one as... dangerous as Rose was.
Rata dusted himself off, grumbled something rather impolite under his breath, and sat back down at the table. Markus and Jarvis did not move, and did not speak.
Spade looked at Dinny curiously, and almost said something, but Regen beat him to the punch.
"Well it's a pleasure to have you here, Marian," Regen winked. She knew that wasn't the assassin's real name, and she didn't give a damn if the woman decided to share that or not. "If you're good enough for our Din, you're good enough for me."
Regen was always the nice one in the crew.
Rose looked the other woman up and down, calculating. Then, slowly, she smiled. It was a tiny change in her face, but there was suddenly something more genuine in the expression.
"Well...thanks, I suppose," she chuckled quietly, and dipped her head to Regen just a bit.
Dinny considered the situation. A part of him really wanted to let Rata have it, more so than he had already been given, but decided it really wasn't worth it. That's the way it had always been, and that's the way it would always be.
"Sounds like a celebration is in order!" Spade abruptly announced before hurrying off to a back room. Shortly after, he brought out several bottles, an assort of whiskeys, and handed one over to Dinny. "Din's alive and well! I've never seen someone escape death so many times, and come back with that stupid smile on face. To Din!"
"Hear Hear!" Regen shouted, taking another bottle from Spade.
Dinny grinned, looking over at Rose. "Care for a drink, then?"
She grinned in return and snatched a bottle out of Spade's hand. Whiskey. Convenient, as that tended to be her drink of choice.
"Cheers." She tapped the bottle lightly against Dinny's before throwing back what probably amounted to two shots.
What began as a shot or two, turned into a full-fledged party. Casual conversation turned into howls and roars of excitement; there were sing-alongs and solo performances, each taking a turn at embarrassing themselves; there was dancing and there was the inevitable falling.
Regen leaned on the bar, her blond hair lying over one shoulder of her shirt. She wasn't quite as drunk as the boys yet (she could really hold her liquor), but just tipsy enough to comfortably chat with Rose, the stranger in their safehaven. "What'd Dinny do to keep you around?" she asked, eyeing the woman up and down. "You are fit."
On the other side of the room, Dinny swirled the whisky in his glass, half listening to the chinking of ice cubes, and half listening to - unfortunately - Rata's drunk blubbering of a vocal performance. Spade was with him, and enduring the same fate.
"Get off the stage!" Dinny eventually booed, and the others laughed.
He was home again.
Rose, nearly half a bottle in and by all appearances just barely tipsy, grinned at Regen and leaned in to stage-whisper, "Honestly? He's just that good in bed."
She winked and settled back, chuckling as she watched Rata and Spade make complete asses of themselves. There was that new softness to her expression as her eyes wandered the room. "You all seem...happy."
She may have been talking to Regen, but her voice was so soft it might have been only intended for herself, it was difficult to tell.
"We are. We're family."
Regen's response was just as much to Rose as it was to herself, scanning around the room of her stupid comrades with pride.
Dinny, now several volumes of drunk, propped his arm on Spade's shoulder and brought his attention to the women. "Allthemenhere," he slurred his words, though to him he sounded perfectly fine. "And the women.. The women outdrink and outshine us!"
Spade laughed, letting his head drop behind him and rest on his friend's chest. At this point, he was too drunk for words.
"Beautiful," Dinny said mostly to himself, looking at Rose with admiration and a little bit of desire.
As if on cue, he thought he saw her mouth the words "bed."
"Gotta go," he said to Spade before tumbling in Rose's direction.
He didn't make it far, and soon he was face-down on the floor.
"Oh--! Demons above and below." Rose sighed and got to her feet, giving Regen a quick, exasperated smile. "One moment, sorry."
She crossed to kneel beside Dinny and propped him up into a semi-seated position, shaking her head as she tried to crane around and see his back. "You're an idiot," she informed him. "And you're gonna pull out your stitches if you keep mucking about like this."
Dinny couldn't help but grin broadly, probably more so than he would have ever intended. What could he say? He was drunk. He was happy.
"I love you."
He said it again.
Rose's heart did some strange acrobatic maneuver that involve dipping into her stomach for a moment before leaping back up into her throat.
"Shhh." She pressed two fingers to Dinny's lips and forced a smile. "C'mon, you, let's get you to bed." She looped an arm under his and around his waist, draping his near arm over her shoulders as she stood. "You lot got a place to sleep it off around here?"
They all answered at once, but none of them really answered at all. It was basically grumbled jibberish in the form of shouting and laughter. Finally, Regen walked over to them, gave Dinny a 'tsk tisk' kind of head shake, and then pointed Rose into the direction of the rooms in back of the building.
"Dinny's is the last room on the left."
"Thanks." Rose gave her a quick nod before hauling Dinny down the hall and into the room Regen had indicated.
"Alright you," she huffed, heaving him onto the bed. "You just take a few hours and hold still, would ya? You're still healing." She leaned over him, trying to pull a blanket up to cover his form.
"Ah, I sure do love you Rose," he said again, his volume of his voice slowly becoming more defeated by the drunken tiredness. "I love you so much. Come to bed, dear."
As she struggled to get the blanket over him, and he didn't make it easy, he let his head sink into the pillow and could barely open his eyes.
"Oh my gods." She snorted and rolled her eyes as she wrestled him under the covers. "You are patently ridiculous, Din," she informed him with a huff as she finally sat back. "Get some sleep."
She didn't move to join him, but she didn't leave the bed either, staying perched on the edge. Her hand came up to card her fingers absently through his hair and she hummed softly, not even fully aware that she was doing it.
"Your voice," he said in between breaths and almost in a voice. "Is almost as beautiful as your face."
Dinny's eyes were closed, a stupid grin planted on his drunken face as the woman played with his hang and hummed him to sleep.
Paradise. That's the word that came to mind as he drifted off into dreams.
Rose snorted softly, but she didn't stop humming until she was sure Dinny was asleep. She stood from the bed with a soft breath and glanced at the door. She should go. She really should. She'd already risked staying in the city too long after that hit. But...
Her eyes flickered back to the sleeping thief and she gritted her teeth. Damnit. She couldn't just up and leave without saying anything. Again.
Well. She could, but at this point she honestly wasn't sure which of them would be more heartbroken by it.
And that was terrifying.
"Fuck." Cursing herself, she sat back on the bed, then cautiously stretched out beside him, keeping on top of the blankets. "You are more trouble than you're worth," she muttered to the sleeping Dinny-- though even she didn't really believe it.
Dinny woke up a few hours later, most of the booze slept off but some still with them in the form of a light hangover. Given how much he drank, he should count himself lucky.
Shooting up, he looked over to see Rose. Still here. Thank Gods.
On top of the blanket and facing away from him, he really couldn't tell from her breathing pattern if she was asleep or not.
"You can get under the covers with me if you want," he said, assuming she up.
Rose was indeed awake, and had been for nearly an hour. She just hadn't been able to make herself move.
With a huff, she rolled onto her side to look up at him. "...I can't," she murmured after a few moments. "I, ah... I should be getting ready to head out, actually."
"Oh, yeah, right," he said, not prepared for her to say that.
He separated himself from her just enough to where he could sit up. He placed a hand in her hair, letting his fingers loosely comb through the strands as he looked at her with longing eyes. "Where will go, then?"
A soft sigh managed to slip passed her lips and she closed her eyes, unable to stop herself from leaning into his touch.
"...I have a rendezvous point with one of my contacts," she murmured eventually. "But, Dinny...you know why I can't stay, don't you?"
She sat up slowly and laid her palm against his cheek, her eyes searching his. For once her expression was open, vulnerable, but not panicked the way it had been when she'd screamed at him the day before. "You--you know it's not because I don't care?"
"Yeah," came his quiet response after a moment's pause. "Yeah, I know."
It didn't make it hurt any less, but he knew her heart was in the right place.
"Don't worry about me," he said, letting out an exhale and giving her a classic Dinny grin. "I'll be fine here. I have the Canary Crew, and I think they've all but let me rejoin based on last night's festivities. Just.. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself, alright?"
Rose felt her heart crack right down the middle.
She smiled through it and nodded, giving him a crooked smile of her own. "Course. I always do."
She lingered there a moment longer, stroking her hand gently against his cheek, her eyes on his and her heart in her throat. I have to go. I. Have. To. Go. But still she couldn't seem to move.
"Dinny, I..."
Her voice choked off and she closed her eyes with a huff. He doesn't need me, the logical half of her brain whispered. He'll do fine here, he has friends, they'll look out for him. They care about each other. He'll get over it, he'll move on.
She even mostly believed that. It was the other side of her brain that refused to let her go: He'll be fine. Will you?
"Don't do anything stupid," she finally whispered, opening her eyes to gaze into his. Then, because she couldn't stop herself, because even knowing it would make the hurt worse she so desperately wanted to, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. One arm draped around his neck while her other hand settled on his waist and she tilted her head into the kiss, the touch soft and slow and sweet.
Dinny returned the kiss, and it held the passion and tenderness that he had felt for Rose for what now felt like a lifetime. He cupped her cheek in his hand, and shut his eyes to enjoy his moment with her.
Isn't it funny how a single decision can change everything? He couldn't help but think about that. He thought about that now, while they shared each others lips, and he had been thinking about that for a while. It was Dinny who chose the tavern for the crew to meet at where Rose was working as a barmaid. It was Dinny who decided to flirt with the beautiful maiden who ended up being Rose. Dinny asked her to join him on the ship as a date, which he desperately didn't need to do since they were on a job, but he did anyway. It was his fuck-up that caused the ship to wreck and leave him and Rose deserted on that island.
But it was Rose that saved his life, time and time again. It was Rose that made him stronger. It was Rose that caused him to fall in love for the very first time, and it was Rose who left him brokenhearted for the first, and hopefully the last time.
He let it linger the most he could, but finally their lips parted from one another, and a single tear had rolled down his cheek. He let his forehead rest on hers.
"I love you," he whispered. "But I know you don't like to talk about stuff like that, so we don't have to. Be good, okay?"
A small, pitiful sob caught in her throat. Rose pressed her brow to his, eyes tight shut as she focused on breathing and forcing back her own tears. "Stole my line," she laughed eventually, though her voice was far too ragged for it to be anywhere near convincing.
Her hands rested against his chest for a moment, fingers just slightly curled into the fabric of his shirt, unwilling to let him go.
This. This was why she lived the way she did. This was why she'd never let someone get too close before. Gods damn the charming thief and his penchant for stupidly risking optimism, damn him for sneaking passed her guard, damn him for somehow worming his way into her heart and lodging there.
"Dinny--" She opened her eyes to meet his again, words she'd been fighting back since the previous dawn clustered in her throat...and found herself speechless.
So she did what she knew, surging forward into another kiss, wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could manage without risk of hurting him. "I have to go," she whispered as she broke away, but she only dipped her head to scatter kisses over his throat and collar. "I have to. I have to go..."
Her hand slid down his back, nails dragging lightly against his skin through the fabric of his shirt. She pressed closer, her kisses tracing a line up to his jaw before she nipped lightly at the soft skin beneath his ear. "I...really...have to...go..."
The tingling sensation of pleasure trickled up his spine, and he was ready to give in to her. She was making it so much harder, literally, but also in matter of the heart. "I know," he said, clearing his throat and pulling away from her. "You need to go," he repeated her, his words practically buried under his breath and he struggled to make eye contact.
He leaned back into her and kissed her cheek, letting his lips linger on her skin for one last sweet, final moment. Finally, he looked at her with a dry smile and motioned to the door with a quick tilt of his head. "Go on."
Rose's heart twisted painfully as she nodded, finally pulling away. There was a slight sting of rejection, but she knew he was only doing the smart thing; for once she was the one thinking with her heart instead of her head.
"Right. Yeah, I'll..." see you around?
She couldn't say it. She didn't know if she would-- and it would be better for him if she didn't.
So she settled for, "Take care, Din."
And she left.
She was out of the city in a matter of hours, having only needed to stop by the inn and gather her things. The city watch hadn't found any real leads on Albize's murderer either, so she didn't even have to waste too much time ducking the law on her way out of town.
She almost wished she had. At least that would have felt like a stronger excuse, a better reason for leaving.
At least you got to say goodbye this time. She snorted. Right. Because that hadn't been utterly heart-wrenching. She shook her head and set her shoulders, feet already heading her in the right direction while she'd been so wrapped up in her own thoughts.
Get your head on straight, girl. Focus or die. Those were her options. Those were always her options.
And Dinny deserved better. Mad, reckless, happy idiot that he was, he deserved better.
He felt pathetic as he sluggishly got himself out of the bed. There were plenty of things he wanted to give up in his life, but Rose wasn't one of them. He only did it for her sake, but he hated every gods damn second of it.
His limbs felt so weak all of a sudden, like a man who had been bed-ridden for three days. To be fair, he had been bed-ridden for quite some time, but not by choice. This was a different kind of weakness. He almost felt sick.
Leaving the room, not even a handful of the crew passed out on the floor from the night before could bring a smile to his face.
"Where you off to, Dinny?"
He turned around to see Regen. Funny, she was always the one looking after him even when he didn't want the attention. Even more funny, the rest of the crew were piss-drunk on the floor, and she looked like she had just ran a marathon.
"You okay?"
It took several moments for him to register her words. "Uh, yeah," he said quickly, his pale face giving him away. "I just need some air. Gonna take a walk."
Regen's eyes followed him to the exit, concern growing in her expression.
Four Months Later
"
Don't sing such songs, you'll wake my mother.
She's sleeping here, right by my side.
In her right hand, a silver dagger,
she says that I can't wield right."
Aria Rose perched on the edge of a stool by the hearth in the taproom of a relatively large inn, plucking gently at the strings of her new lute--a gift from her most recent employer--as her voice floated through the air to fill the room. It was late, and most of the patrons were either too drunk to hold their own heads up or simply exhausted; the song was a soft, gentle relief to weary bones, coaxing any towards even just a moment of peace.
"
Oh, men are fools, so says my mother.
They'll tell you again of love and lies.
And then they'll go and court some other,
leave you alone to pine inside..."
The bard was, for once, not as observant of her surroundings as perhaps she should have been. She seemed rather swept up in the song, her eyes closing every so often as she allowed herself to sway slightly with the music.
So she didn't notice the hooded figure tucked away at the end of the bar, eyes fixed intently on her performance, much more intently than any of the other patrons in their varies states of inebriation or exhaustion.
It had taken a long time to find the girl-- well. Not a girl anymore, he supposed. And, as luck would have it, he'd just received word that their second target should soon be arriving in town. No one was foolish enough to go after The Rose without a little leverage in their back pocket.
Aria's Song here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqWu7eEWlz4)
It was hard to believe it had already been four months.
It was hard to believe it had only been four months.
The young bandit thought about her everyday. Almost every second of every day. He was truly, utterly, in love, and he didn't know what to do with all of the leftover feelings she had left him with.
The days got easier. The Canary Crew saw to that.
It was just like the old times - hanging with the crew, getting into trouble, scoring the big prize on jobs here and there.
The hurt was physically present at first, but now he hid it well. Still, the crew knew he was hurting, particularly Spade and Regen. So they did what they thought was best for him, and on this night that happened to be setting him up on a date.
It was the first time Dinny had any kind of romantic interaction with a woman since Rose, though physically present, mentally he was elsewhere.
The tavern was more crowded than usual that night. Dinny couldn't really focus on what his date was saying, more or less hear her, as he absently scanned the room around him. There were men and women who looked older than they were, boys and girls who looked too young to even be allowed in there, drunks slumped on the bar, pint glasses, shot glasses, someone crying in the corner, couples in secluded corners, laughing, back slapping, jangle of voices and music.
The music was beautiful, and if these drunk bastards could pipe down they'd be able to hear the bard a little better.
Lyla Avett was dressed to impress that night. She wore a black silk dress that showed off every curve to the very last detail, and squeezed her skin just tight enough to show the desirable meat most men would fancy on a woman's legs, rear, and breasts. Her scarlet hair was curled and done properly, and it surrounded her fair complexion and piercing, emerald eyes to perfection.
She was not only beautiful on the outside, but she was beautiful within. She was creative and smart and proud, and she was easy to talk to and fun to be around. By all accounts, she was the perfect woman.
If they had met four months earlier, Dinny would be losing his mind right now. A girl like Lyla could never be interested in him! But here they were, a girl like Lyla was interested in him, and he was not interested in her at all.
And then he saw her.
As they sat at their table and exchanged small talk over a pint, he peered over his shoulder to get a better look at the bard singing the lovely song.
"Oh, fuck," he thought aloud.
Rose.
This startled him enough to where he jumped from his seat, knocking the table in the process that promptly sent both of the couple's glasses shattering to the ground.
The crash of glass on wood turned more than a few heads, including the bard's. She continued to sing, but her brow had furrowed slightly as she tried to make out the source of the commotion.
When she did, her own eyes widened and her voice choked off, hand stilling against the strings of her instrument.
Dinny.
In a burst of movement, she stood from her stool and slung the lute back over her shoulder. A few of the patrons protested, complaining that she hadn't even finished her song, but she just smiled and apologized, dipping her head politely.
"I'm afraid I have a prior engagement," she excused herself. She made for the back door of the tavern quickly.
Don't look back, don't look back...
She looked back. Her eyes found him immediately in the crowd, almost magnetized to him. Her feet stilled and she fought the sudden urge to just turn back and go to him.
Then she whipped her head back around and hurried through the door, eyes on the ground and shoulders hunched as though to ward off a sudden chill. She only made it a few steps down the alley before she slumped back against the wall and raised a shaking hand to cover her face.
Stupid girl. She hadn't expecting just seeing him to affect her like this! Well, she hadn't been expecting to see him at all, which may have had something to do with it.
All of Le'ranna, and somehow I keep stumbling into him...
The man who'd been watching Aria Rose so intently from his place at the bar was momentarily through for a loop by the sudden noise and then the bard's abrupt exit. He recovered quickly enough, and began to smirk.
Who'd have thought their target would end up creating the perfect distraction? And he'd managed to scare the woman out of the tavern, so she'd have no way of even knowing what they were up to, let alone stopping them.
His eyes flickered across the room to meet his partner's, and she nodded once, firmly.
Shit.
Shit. Shit. Shit. FUCK!
Dinny had the right mind to go after her. He wanted to. He really wanted to.
But he knew he couldn't. For her sake, and for his own.
"Is something the matter, Din?" Lyla asked.
"N-No," he replied. "Sorry. I thought I saw someone I knew. I'll get us a new round."
They got him while he was on his way to the head. Lyla would think that the man abandoned her, stood her up in a sense, but that was no true at all.
'Aahh.. Ow,'
Dinny groaned as he woke from an abrupt blackout. He had been in all sorts of danger, in various of ways, throughout his life, but there was nothing more frightening then waking up somewhere and not knowing how you got there.
Has he blacked out drunk before and not remembered his actions from the night prior? Sure. That was scary in itself, but mostly embarrassing, but this time wasn't the case.
Somebody knocked him out.
His eyes burned as he opened them, head pounding, body aching, and he had the strange sense that he was floating. When he was well enough to come to, he discovered that he was, in fact, floating. Locked in a cage, too small for comfort, suspended in air in what looked to be some dark, abandoned cellar.
"Oh fuck," he hissed, jumping to his feet on instinct.
Crack.
He couldn't even stand, the cage was too small. His head his the top and he immediately plopped back down onto his ass, wincing in further pain. He was so tired of getting his ass kicked.
"Hey!" he screamed, kicking at the iron bars that binded him. "LET ME OUT!"
"Oh good. It's awake." A woman with a gold tooth tossed her hand down onto the table where three figures sat lazily, her cards scattering.
"Oh, would someone shut him up?" her partner grumbled, pulling the bot of coins and pilfered jewelry to his side as the other man folded as well. "Just...don't kill 'im. We need him alive a little longer, at least."
Aria manged to get back to her room that night without too much further incident, though it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she took no less than three wrong turns before eventually getting back to the inn where she'd been staying and hurrying up to her room.
"Fucking..." She tossed the lute onto the bed and slammed the door behind her, then sank back against it with a groan and covered her face. "Why here?"
The small town was really only half a day's journey from the place where she'd grown up. It had been eight years, she'd figured she could risk coming back, just for a quick job-- she hadn't thought she'd be running into him.
Grumbling to herself, the bard started to get ready for bed, so lost in her own turmoil that she didn't even notice the slip of parchment tucked beneath her pillow until she'd lifted it to yank back the sheets.
Warning bells started going off in the back of her head. Warily, she reached out and plucked the note up off the bed, unfolding it slowly. Even as she read the words she felt as though she'd somehow already known what it was going to say, yet somehow still it was a shock of icy fear down her spine.
By the time she'd gotten to the last word, she felt her heart freeze over.
Okay. Kicking and screaming clearly wasn't going to work.
He'd ask who they were, what they were trying to accomplish, but he really didn't think that that would do him any good. No one would go through the trouble to kidnap him at such great lengths, locking him in a cage and hanging him from 20 or so feet from the air without a damn good reason. He had a hutch, and it had everything to do with her.
Time to improvise, he thought.
He stopped kicking the bars, and instead got on his knees, overlooking the three figures playing some sort of card game.
"No, don't play that," he called out, the woman of the group mostly in his line of vision. "They're gonna take you for all you got if you play that stack."
"Oh, shut up!" the same grumbling man before yelled.
"You guys got any food?" Dinny asked with an exasperated sigh. "Fuckin' starved, man."
"Give'em a bolt," the woman muttered under her breath.
The third figure stood from their table, walking across the hall to a set of levers on the wall. It seemed to be connected to the cage they had him trapped in.
"What do you mean-"
Dinny couldn't finish his sentence before he cranked one of the levers down, and a surge of electricity circulated inside the cage and pumped into his veins. It lasted for only a second or two, but it was enough to fuck him up for days.
The surging electricity was so intense that he couldn't even hear himself scream, but everyone else from a mile radius would have been able to. It was the most excruciating pain he had ever felt in his life.
When it stopped, he collapsed onto his back, his body twitching and his eyes almost hollow as he stared aimlessly at the top of the cage.
Aria was already nearly to the meeting point when she heard the scream. She had no doubt as to where the sound came from, and it tore through her chest, threatening to crack the layer of ice that had formed around her heart.
She actually stalled for a moment, her feet refusing to move forward as the shock of it gripped her.
No. No time for this. She gritted her teeth and pushed on.
The shadowy assassin was gone, her careful steps and measured breathing thrown to the wayside as she approached the door and threw it open so forcefully it slammed back into the wall and made the three goons around the table start violently.
One opened his mouth, but before he could get a word out Aria had flicked her wrist and sent the dagger in her sleeve flying, pinning the fabric of his sleeve to the table beneath it.
The other two surged to their feet and Aria bared her teeth. "Don't." She took a step forward. "Don't speak. Any of you. I'm here. I came. Now let him go."
"Well now."
That voice was new, and Aria wasn't the only one who jumped and turned toward the source of the sound. A third man, hood pulled up to cast his face in shadow, leaned back casually against a far wall of the cell. She blinked. How did he even get in here?
"We said we had the thief, if you wanted to see him," the newcomer drawled. His voice was like a damp trail down her back, making her shudder. "We never said we'd let him go."
Din was way too hard-headed of a bastard to just die now. He knew that. Rose knew that. But these goons below did not have the slightest clue.
He heard Rose talking with them below, and a new voice entered the mix. As much as he wanted to go Aw, Shucks, you came, now was certainly not the time. He just hoped Rose could handle the lot while he figured things out on his end.
'Gods dammit, Dinny. You're a mage. You're not just some lowly thief, you're a gods damned mage and you need to start acting like it!'
Trying to give himself the pep talk of the century, he struggled to sit back up after the initial shock of the electricity had worn off. He stayed well into the corner as to not show the others that he was moving around and alert.
His eyes found the lever that wrecked his body the first time. Just the sight of it made him crawl in his skin.
..But there were two more levers. He really didn't have a clue what they did, but at least one of them had to be his key to getting out of this stupid cage.
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and started concentrating on a spell he muttered under his breath - as softly as he could speak without being heard. Soon, water rose from the man's open palm and started circling around his hand, gaining speed and power with every passing second.
Aria kept her eyes on the stranger, not even bothering to dignify his goons with a glance. She held her ground as he pushed off the wall and moved toward her.
"I have to say, I'm surprised The Rose was so easily baited." His tone was almost teasing as he came to a halt just a few paces in front of her. The other three glanced between each other, seeming more than a little out of their depth.
Aria bared her teeth in an expression that could only be called a snarl. "What do you want?" she hissed. "I'm here, aren't I? Your plan worked. You've got no use for him anymore."
"Use?" The man chuckled, and the sound was a thousand skittering legs crawling down her back. "I have plenty of use for him yet. His only purpose here is to bring you pain." He titled his head and she caught he barest glimpse of his twisted smirk. "And there are still many ways he can do that."
This old bitch has another thing coming if he thinks he is going to do any of that.
Focus, Dinny.
Gathering the circulated water over his palm, he steadied his breathing and locked eyes once again with the levers. He could shoot for the one that didn't electrocute the shit out of him, but who's to say that it won't do something as just as deadly? On one hand, he could be free from this cage and free to help Rose, but on the other, he could be fried to a crisp by his own doing, and he wouldn't be much help to the assassin if he was dead.
Think, Dinny. Think.
He really didn't have a choice. He had to try something.
He was going to have to push all three levers and just hope for the best.
The spell was still crackling under his breath, and he finally got to his knees so he was in a better position to execute. "HEY!" he screamed out, trying to pull their attention away from Rose.
He punched the iron bars and a wave shot through the bars, split the air, and pummeled into the terminal harder than their ship wrecked into the rocks back at that island.
The switches flipped.
The cage surged with electricity again, but this time the front gate opened, and the room went black.
The third lever was a light switch.
The room went dark and Aria exploded forward, already drawing the dagger from the sheath at the small of her back and slashing the air where the hooded man had been.
She hit something. She felt the blade carve through flesh and heard the grunt of pain; but it wasn't fatal, it probably wasn't more than a nuisance.
"Shit! Where're the lights?!"
"No one said he was a mage!"
"Quite bitching and find the switch--!"
The three goons were all but tripping over themselves behind her, she could hear them. But she wasn't interested in that. She froze where she stood as her eyes began to adjust to the darkness, tilting her head just slightly to the side as she listened.
Footsteps, the swish of fabric over stone...there!
She dodged left just in time to avoid a heavy blow with what sounded like a short sword, judging by the clang when it hit the stone floor. The mastermind behind Dinny's kidnapping cursed under his breath and twisted for another swing, which she blocked with the hilt of her dagger, though the impact made her very bones shake.
Holy shit he is strong! She backpedaled as she heard the blade slice through the air by her left ear.
"You've just made the game more exciting, thief!" the leader called into the dark room, even as he swung for Aria again. "Why don't you come on out, hm? Wouldn't you like the chance to say goodbye to your lady friend?"
"Choke on your own dick," Aria hissed at him, ducking under yet another swing and making a jab for where she thought he was, just another shadow in the darkness.
The lights shut off and the cage sent volts of electricity through his bones again. He gritted his teeth, holding in the scream he needed to let out, and pushed himself forward. He dropped from the cage and landed with a heavy thud, followed by a sharp crack.
Damn. Dinny was one lucky bastard.
One of the hired hands broke his fall, the thud,, and that hand's skull slapped the ground on his way down, the crack.
One down, three to go.
"Oh fuck you!" Dinny yelled at the man taunting him.
"Found you," was the first thing Dinny heard in response before he was speared to the ground by what felt like a man twice his size. He could tell by his build as the wrestled each other on the floor that it was the one who pulled the lever the first time around.
Dinny scrambled out of his lock and quickly jumped to his feet. He reached for his dagger, but realized that was not an option. They took his weapons when they knocked him out. "Guess we're doing this like men," Dinny muttered, raising his fist in a position to brawl.
Fighting in complete darkness shouldn't be anyone's strong suit, but being the world-class bandit that he was, his eyes adjusted very well to the dark, and quickly. He could see the opposing man. Dinny had the advantage.
The oaf swung and missed. He didn't even come close. If anyone else could see in that black room then they'd see Din's triumphant grin.
He was so use to Rose taking charge and saving his ass that he almost forgot that he had few skills of his own - primarily stealth. He was on the other man quicker than he could blink, throwing a mean punch to his throat. The man gasped for air, though no one could hear it, before collapsing onto the ground.
Then he stomped on his face. Din wasn't usually the one for such violence, but they really pissed him off, and they're after Rose.
Searching the now unconscious man, he pulled a knife from his trousers. It was small, but it would have to work.
"Rose," he called out desperately. "Talk to me! Where are you?"
"Here!" Rose just barely ducked another sweep of the sword. She hit the ground and rolled, popping up behind her attacker and jabbing forward in a quick strike toward his ribs. "Dinny, run, get out of here!"
"Oh, but we're just getting started!"
The man was behind her. Rose blinked, frozen for a moment in shock. How-- how had he--?
She didn't have time to think about it. His fingers closed around her wrist, jerking her arm up behind her back, and she cried out. Stupid! How had she let him sneak up on her like that? She was better than this, damnit!
Aria thrashed in his grip, trying to twist to slash at him with her dagger, but he just laughed and grabbed her other wrist, twisting sharply so she dropped the blade. "'Oh, but you are a spitfire, aren't you, Rosie?" he purred in her ear. Her stomach roiled and she jerked against his hold.
"Get off me you sick son of a--"
The man just laughed, and she swore she saw red. "I should've known. You really are Sorren's daughter, huh?"
Rose went very, very still. Her eyes widened. "You..."
"Ah, she finally gets it." The kidnapper-- the assassin-- jerked her other arm behind her back sharply so he could hold both her wrists with one hand, his now freed hand sliding up to curve around her throat in what was almost a mockery of a caress. She shuddered, disgust rising and warring with rage in her chest. "It's a pity we couldn't break you like we did Dear Old Dad. Should've seen his face when we slit that winged bitch's throat--"
Aria screamed, throwing her head back to crack against his face and stomping down hard on his instep at the same time. Her attacker hissed in pain and jerked his hand back from her throat, but his grip on her wrists didn't even loosen.
"Like I said, a pity," he spat. "But I suppose it'll be entertaining enough to watch the mage cry for you."
Sharp, icy pain blossomed up her side. Rose's eyes went wide and her mouth opened, but she couldn't actually make any sound. Her captor chuckled, giving the knife he'd slid between her ribs a firm twist, then stepped back, giving her a quick shove so she collapsed forward onto the floor as he let her go.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave while you can." His last comment was directed in Dinny's vague direction.
He fell for it.
Dinny had been circling around the two since he took down the last man, leaving traces of himself all around the room with the use of his magic. Wow. He should really take up his roots as a mage again, it was really coming in handy.
"You talk too much," the thief whispered in the man's ear, standing directly behind him as he shoved the knife in his back.
The assassin hissed and knocked back, swinging an arm backwards and knocking Dinny onto the floor. Gods damn, he was strong. He felt the impact of his elbow nearly crush his face, and he was on his ass before he knew it.
Still, he wasn't invincible.
Dinny jumped back to his feet, wiped the blood off of his face, and raised his fist yet again. "What do you say, Rose?" he asked, eyes directly on the assassin. "You impressed yet?"
Rose didn't answer.
Spitting blood, the assassin glared at him-- and laughed.
"You really are an idiot," he hissed. His hand twitched toward the second blade at his hip, but then he seemed to decide against it. "Aylin, grab Fells," he barked shortly, presumably speaking to his hired help. "Our job's done here." He turned to go, then paused, looked back, and swept into a mocking bow, giving Dinny a sharp, arrogant smirk. "You could always follow us...but I wouldn't waste my time if I were you. She only has a few minutes left."
Behind the water mage, a weak, rattling cough sounded. Rose tried to push herself up onto an elbow but quickly collapsed back to the floor. Her other hand pressed against her side, fingers on either side of the dagger that had been driven in to the hilt. Blood was pooling beneath at an alarming rate, but she knew if she drew the blade out it would only make it worse.
Her vision started to tunnel, even in the darkness. She coughed again and felt an unfortunately familiar coppery tang coat her tongue.
No.
Din was so in the moment he didn't realize what had happened. Not Rose. Not now.
As the assassin as his hired help began to walk away, Dinny, chest burning with fury, called out to him. "I'll kill you for this."
He laughed, and they were gone.
"Rose!"
He turned on his heel and slid over to her side, placing his hand behind her neck to keep her at least somewhat level. "Rose," he said again, his breathing almost uncontrollable. "Hey. Stay with me, okay? We're going to get you help."
Rose gasped, pain pulsing through her, and she clenched her eyes shut and gritted her teeth as he cradled her head.
"S-sorry..." she managed to gasp out. "I'm sorry...they hurt you..."
Her tunic was soaked through with crimson, lips parted as she desperately tried and failed to draw in a full breath. She somehow felt simultaneously strangely calm and completely panicked.
Her free hand groped blindly in the dark, found his, and squeezed tightly. "Dinny--!" She coughed, tasted blood, and finally managed to force her eyes open long enough to find his. For perhaps the first time since she'd known him all her walls were down, every emotion playing through those teal blue eyes.
She was terrified.
A soft whimper rose in her throat and she struggled to clutch his hand tighter. "I...I'm scared..." she whispered. "Oh gods, Din, I'm scared..."
Oh gods. Oh gods no.
Dinny could hardly hold himself together, but he had to so he could keep her from falling apart. "I know, sweetie," he said, trying to calm his voice to sooth her fears. It wasn't working, but at the time he was all he could think to do. "I know, but it's going to be fine. I'm going to take care of you. I'm going to fix this."
A few tears had formed in his eyes without his knowing, and dropped to her neck. "I don't think we can remove the knife just yet," he said, mostly for himself than for her. "Rose, I need you to put as much pressure on the wound as you can. Please. Please do this for me, Rose... This is going to hurt."
He lowered the hand from her neck to her upper back, and wrapped his other arm under her legs before hoisting her up, cradling her in his arms. "Stay with me Rose."
And then he ran. He ran as fast as he could.
If she'd had enough air in her body she would have screamed. As it was, all that slipped out was an instinctive, pained whimper as he scooped her up and started running. She did her best to keep her hand pressed against the wound, but she was starting to loose feeling in her fingertips...
She was fading.
"Dinny..." Her voice was weak and rough, choked. She coughed, once more tasting blood on her tongue, and tried again. "Dinny...I..." The words wouldn't come.
No. No, damnit, this was important!
Her hand went limp and slipped from her side.
Convinced she was dying, knowing how much this would hurt him, hating herself for it, she still knew that she had to say it.
"...I...love you..."
Her head lolled back against his shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed. They didn't open again.
"...Will she be okay?"
Dinny paced nervously back and forth of the hideout as Regen worked tirelessly to heal Rose's wounds. She hadn't woken up yet, and for the longest Dinny truly believed that she was dead. She wasn't breathing, she wouldn't wake, she told him she loved him. As well as he knew Rose, and he felt by now he knew her pretty well, she would never say something like that unless it was the end.
He nearly cried the entire way back to the hideout, but he mustered the strength to keep going. He kept the pressure on her wound himself while carrying her, which was not an easy task.
"Don't die on me, Rose."
He replayed that night over and over in his head. He ran as fast as he could, and he wasn't even sure where he was at in the beginning. When he finally recognized his surroundings, he headed straight for the crew's hideaway, praying that Regen was there.
He couldn't imagine life without her now.
"Her wound was really deep," Regen explained as she examined the unconscious assassin. "I've done all I can, Din. She should be in the clear now."
"You sure?" he asked quickly, still pacing. "Why hasn't she woken up yet?! It's been nearly three days now!"
"She just needs time to recover, Din."
Regen's words were soft and worried. Worried for the both of them.
Dinny finally stopped pacing.
"Can you.. Can you give me a minute with her?"
"Sure, Dinny."
Regen left, and the young thief kneeled down before the bed that they had her sprawled out on. "Come on, Rose," he whispered, placing both of his hands around one of hers. He kissed it gently and then buried his face in it. "I need you."
Something was wrong.
It was almost like she could smell it in the air, a foulness that festered and crept through her home. Loke shivered and slowed her pace as she neared the door, clutching her basket a little tighter to her chest.
"Mum?" she called softly, but there was no answer from the house. Her stomach twisted. Her mother was always gardening this time of day, and her father should have been in the kitchen, waiting for her to get back with the food she'd just bought to help with dinner-- she was late, he should have been scolding her.
"Mum?" she tried again, her voice shaking now. "Da?" It wasn't just her voice that shook; her fingers trembled as her hand entered her field of vision, slowly pushing on the door.
It wasn't locked.
Oh gods no.
The door swung inward, revealing two eerily still forms sprawled over the floor, dark puddles spreading beneath them, but they couldn't be real, none of this could possibly be real--
"Mama!"
"Mmm..." Rose's hand twitched in Dinny's as she stirred just slightly. Her lashes fluttered against her cheeks, lips moving around long-forgotten phrases.
Slowly, very slowly, she blinked her eyes open.
What...the hells...happened?
She had no idea where she was, who she was with, why she hurt so damn bad... Was that Dinny?
"Um..." She licked her lips and turned her head to look at the thief blearily. "Hey?"
Dinny's eyes were burning.
"Rose?!" he all but shouted, seeing the woman come to after three days of being out. "Oh my gods. Oh gods. Rose! You're okay!"
He took her face in his hands and kissed her with no consideration of how much pain he may have brought her. Physically, that is.
Hearing Dinny's cries, Regen stormed back into the room. "Dinny! Get off of her you ass!" she hissed as she went to her side. He all but shoved Din out of the way before kneeling down in front of her. "Hey. How you feeling?"
A sharp cry of pain was quickly muffled into the kiss, and in all honesty Rose found she didn’t care how much it hurt. She kissed him back.
She did manage to summon a weak smile though for Regen when the healer made an appearance. “I’m...alright,” she answered slowly, surprised to discover that it was in fact the truth. She felt...pretty good, all things considered.
In fact, she felt worlds better than she really had any right to.
The bard glanced between the two of them, still a little fuzzy-headed. “Why— what exactly happened?”
"You injuries were bad. You almost died," the healer/bandit said before Dinny could get any words out. She looked over to Dinny and he seemed conflicted as to what to say, but she knew that was just him wanting to say a million things at once. "I'll.. I'll leave you two to talk, just don't overdo it, okay?"
Regen promptly left the room, and Dinny was promptly back at her side, kneeling down and taking her hand in both of his. "Thank gods," he practically whispered, kissing her hand more than once. "I.. I thought I lost you. Rose, do you remember anything at all?"
Rose processed that quietly for a few moments, but she was jerked from her thoughts by Dinny's grip on her hand and the slight tremor in his voice.
"Hey hey, shh." She reached up to brush a few messy blond locks back from his face, trying to sit up a bit as she did. That proved to be a very bad idea, shooting pain through her torso, and she bit down on a harsh cry, just breathed through her nose for a moment.
She managed to force a small smile for Dinny after another breath, and twisted her hand in his to lace their fingers together gently. "I'm okay," she tried to assure him softly. "I...it's all still a little fuzzy, but I'm okay now."
"Good," he replied firmly. "But listen to Regen. You can't overdo it right now. You lost a lot of blood.. Rose, you were so hurt.. I didn't.. I couldn't.." He trailed off, lost for words and not realizing that his hands were trembling in her own.
"I don't know what I would have done.. if I had lost you," he finally said. "Rose, I love you so much. And I don't care if that puts me in danger. It already did! Even after we hadn't seen each other for four months! I can't lose you again. I can't!"
"Dinny..."
She just stared at him for a moment in surprise, jaw a little slack. Slowly, she pulled her hand from his so she could reach out and touch his cheek.
I love him.
She supposed she'd known that, somewhere, but she'd been doing her damnedest to ignore it.
Fat lot of good it had done them.
With a tired, heavy sigh she drew him forward into a kiss, soft and lingering. "...Okay," she whispered against his lips. "Okay, Din."
She didn't bother to point out how badly he'd been hurt because of her— or how his presence had distracted her in that fight, left her vulnerable. Because that wasn't his fault, and honestly he was right; even if she left again, it didn't seem like it was going to make much difference. Those people would keep coming after him to get to her.
Which she supposed meant she had to kill them first.
But she didn't want to think about that right now. Wincing as she shifted to the side of the bed, she dropped her hand to tug on Dinny's wrist. "C'mere." She smiled at him almost shyly and patted the bed beside her.
He couldn't help but smile. Yes. Yes, he would certainly join her. His heart felt like it was under repair, no longer falling to pieces from the past series of events, but full with affection and content. "Yeah," he agreed, crawling into the bed with her - careful as to not cause her any discomfort, and wrapped his arms around her.
He snuggled into her like a warm blanket, and he was reminded just how tired he was. he had barely slept, if at all, in the days that Rose's fate was uncertain. He took quite an ass beating back there, and his skin was still scarred, his bones still broken, and his mind still frazzled from all of it.
"This feels nice," he managed a whisper as he struggled to keep his eyes open.
"Mhm." Rose shifted slightly to tuck his head under her chin and nuzzled into his hair for a moment. He was right. It did feel nice.
One hand stroked absently over his arm as she found herself struggling to stay conscious as well. They were both still hurting, and despite the fact that she'd spent the last three days unconscious she still felt bone tired, but this was...nice.
She couldn't stop herself from grimacing a little, guilt in her throat, and murmured into his hair, "I'm sorry, Din. I'm sorry they hurt you..." Her fingers curved around his upper arm, holding him just a little tighter against her-- as tight as she dared, not wanting to worsen either of their injuries.
She knew this didn't fix everything. That assassin was still out there, at least she assumed. She didn't think Dinny had killed him. She knew they'd have to deal with that eventually, and whatever else came after; she was under no illusions that he was the only person who wanted her dead.
But they could think about it later. With a soft sigh, she allowed her eyes to drift closed again and rested her cheek against the top of his head as she began to drift off.
"Hardly a scratch," he murmured. It was his way of shrugging off her apology - one that was not needed. It was his mostly absent, dead-tired way, that is.
He felt himself slipping. He needed to sleep, but he really didn't want to. He wanted to enjoy that moment of peace with the woman he loved. "We'll get'em," he managed to say under a quiet breath. "I'll get him."
If she had responded, he wouldn't have heard it. He was asleep now, and it wouldn't be for nearly a day before the bandit woke up again.
You will do no such thing.
Dinny was many things, but he wasn't a killer, not like this. She didn't want him to be-- not at all, and certainly not for her sake.
But she couldn't manage to get the words out, dropping swiftly back into sleep herself.
Rose slept fitfully over the next twelve or so hours, haunted by dreams that made her whimper and toss restlessly, or sometimes curl unconsciously into the warmth of her bedmate. She managed to flounder toward consciousness a few times, but never for longer than a few minutes. She thought she remembered Regen checking on them, but that might have also been part of the dreams.
When she finally woke again, properly this time, it was because her stomach gave a growl so loud that it actually managed to startle her from sleep. Groaning and wincing at the sudden influx of light, she sat up slowly, carefully disentangling herself from Dinny-- who seemed to have become some sort of clinging starfish in his sleep.
A pang shot through her stomach, answered by a throb of soreness from her ribs. She groaned and rubbed a hand down her face. "Gods, I'm starving."
Dinny stirred awake as the woman began moving around and groaned. "Me too. Feels like all I ever do nowadays is eat and get my ass beat to oblivion."
He sat up, slowly with a yawn, and carefully stretched his arms out behind his back.
He felt like a brand new man after sleeping. A brand new man who just had his ass handed to him, that is.
"Well.. feel up to moving around?" he asked her. "We can go into town and get something to eat, or I can send Spade or one of the others to pick something up for us."
It struck Rose once again, quite harshly, just how little Dinny really knew about the kind of life she led. She was grateful for it, in a way, but it made her heart seize slightly when she realized how he might react to what she needed to tell him.
"Dinny." She placed a hand almost hesitantly on his shoulder. "We can't go out. Not here. Not for a long time. We have no idea if that man is still in town; maybe he thinks we're dead, but maybe he doesn't. And if he doesn't, he'll try again."
Her grip on his shoulder tightened briefly as she glanced away. "Honestly, the safest thing we could do is sneak our way out of town and head somewhere unexpected. Back to Yoreiq maybe." She didn't really suggest it, more...stated the option. Pointed out that it was probably their best bet.
But she didn't try to force the issue; she knew he wouldn't take it, not if his crew stayed behind. Although they too were now in danger, just by virtue of sheltering and caring for them.
She gritted her teeth and dropped her eyes. She squeezed his shoulder again for a moment then dropped her hand with a small sigh. "I'm sorry, Din," she whispered. "I--I never wanted this for you."
Dinny let that settle for a moment. "Yeah, and I never asked for anything like this," he finally replied. "But, I don't care. I can't imagine anything better than this. We can sneak around, we can run, we can fight."
He reached for her hand. "Just having you here with me is all I can ask for now." He grinned, feeling the cheese of his own words. "And uh- just try to not to give up on me, alright? I'm not use to being the romantic type."
"What, you think I am?" She managed a slightly smile of her own and squeezed his hand gently. Her expression quickly faded back to tense and pensive. "...I promise I'll do everything I can to keep you safe," she murmured eventually.
She had to kill that assassin, before he figured out they'd both survived and took another shot at them. Gods, how had he even found them? How had he known about Dinny? How the fuck had she killed to piss him off in the first place--?
Her eyes widened as memory suddenly came rushing back. You really are Sorren's daughter.
"Oh gods." Her hands were shaking. No, her whole body was shaking. She reached up to press her fingers over her mouth, staring vacantly. "Oh gods how did he find me?!"
Dinny's eyes narrowed, confused and a little worried at the sudden change in her behavior. "Hey, it's okay," he tried to console her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Who are you talking about? Who was that guy?"
She just shook her head. The shaking had progressed to full tremors, and her eyes were almost entirely unfocused.
Even when she'd lost her cool and screamed at him the last time they'd seen each other, she'd never looked so terrified.
"He knew me," she whispered. "He-- he knew me. That must have been how that guard knew my name, my mark when we first met, he called me Loke... Oh gods."
She clenched her hands into fists in her lap. Slowly, dangerously, fear began to shift and bleed into anger. "I'm going to kill him," she whispered. Her voice shook. "I'm going to kill him!"
"Rose!"
He took her face in his hands, searching for any real presence in her eyes. "Talk to me. Who is he?"
Rose's lips were pulled back in a snarl, the teal in her eyes hardening to a steely, icy blue. She jerked away from Dinny's touch, not even entirely aware of what she was doing as her body began to move on autopilot.
Feeling as though every word was dredged up from her core and forcibly pulled passed her lips, she ground out, "That bastard killed my mother." She all but shoved Dinny aside as she tried to stand from the bed. "And I'm going to make him pay."
Her feet touched the floor and she almost immediately collapsed, both from the sudden jolt of pain through her torso and the simple fact that she hadn't stood on her own two feet in nearly four days now; she was weak, malnourished, and most likely dehydrated, and as a result the world spun around her when she tried to stand.
A jolt of pain ran through his body when the assassin shoved him out of the way. Even at her state, she was still strong, and he was still bad shape. He could hardly react to her before she collapsed onto the ground.
Yep. He knew that was going to happen.
He was a little surprised it didn't happen to him when he scurried out of bed to help her.
"Shit, Rose," he said quickly as he dropped his feet on the ground. "Let me help."
He knelt down to support her, slinging her arm over his shoulder and holding her by her waist. "You can make him pay when you've healed," he said sternly. Well, as stern as a guy like Dinny could ever be. "..but right now you wouldn't stand a chance."
Something in his voice-- maybe the tone, maybe the words themselves-- actually seemed to snap her out of it. She blinked, still pale and shaking, and looked over at him when he draped his arm around her shoulders.
And suddenly she laughed. It was just a little, a quiet sound more in her throat than anything else, but it was a laugh.
"You're in no condition to be helping anyone," she pointed out, and let her head tip sideways to rest her brow against his temple. She sighed. "Gods. Aren't we a pair? C'mon."
Groaning, she struggled back to her feet and managed to shuffle them both back toward the bed before collapsing onto ti. "Uff." Sprawled awkwardly, she twisted in an effort to disentangle her arm from around Dinny's neck.
Dinny collapsed onto the bed, the soft heavenly bed, with Rose, the soft heavenly Rose. He grunted with his fall, and tried to help untangle himself from her, but only proved to make things worse. As they went about this, he couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
"I'm always in good condition to help you, Rose," he teased, letting the side of his face embrace the pillow. "We'll send someone to get us some food, eh? We can try this again after that. Until then, why don't you tell me more about this guy? If we're going after him, we need a plan, and yes,, I'm going to help you, so don't even start."
"Dinny, no." Despite what he'd said, she did start. She rolled onto her side and curled toward him, reaching up to clasp his hands in hers and hold them between their chests. "You can't...I can't let you do that. And it's not for the reason you think," she hurried to add.
One hand reached up to cup his cheek, her eyes locked on his. "Listen to me, Din. You-- you're not a killer. You shouldn't be a killer." A soft, almost wistful smile curved at her lips and she lifted his hand up between both of hers. "You know, I've never forgotten that rose," she whispered, eyes slightly downcast. "On the ship. Do you remember? You made me a rose out of seawater."
She sighed and let her head dip forward, pressing the back of his hand to her forehead. "Water magic is special, Dinny," she murmured. "It's...life. I don't know if you can see it, but I do. You're meant to give life, to shape it...not to take it away."
Dinny's smile was both weak and sincere. His heart was doing somersaults of pure joy from within him, and he hoped that was clear from his cheeky grin, and that she knew he appreciated what she had said about him.
"I could make love to you all day and night for that," came his quiet response.
He held his hand above them, closed his eyes, and within a few moments he created a new rose of water that spun delicately above their heads. He let his hand drop down and land on her hip, but the rose still remained.
He kissed her lips then. Soft and with desire, and let it linger before parting. "I won't be a killer. I promise," he said. "But I won't let him kill you either."
Another pang shot through her stomach at his whispered reply, this one very different from hunger-- or at least hunger of a different kind. When he kissed her she had to remind herself how badly hurt they both were to avoid throwing all decorum or sense of caution to the wind and just pouncing on him.
When they parted, she took a moment to breathe before whispering, "I know." Another breath. "We can...talk about it later. Just-- just hold me? Please?"
"Only because you asked so nicely," he teased before wrapping his arms around her. The embrace was snug, almost tight, but gentle enough as to not cause her any further pain. He had wanted this for so long: the two of them together.
He just prayed for the day that they didn't have anything to worry about, or the day where he didn't feel like absolute shit.
As he let his cheek brush against hers, he went to nibble on her ear. Just a tease, he thought, because anything else may put him in the hospital.
"Mmm..." Rose shifted against him, drawing her bottom lip between her teeth as she drew in a just slightly shaky breath. "Come on, Din," she laughed softly. "You're killin' me over here."
Her hand traced down from his shoulder to his hip, then slid around to trace her fingertips lightly over his lower back. She curved her neck around to nuzzle against his jaw before placing a soft kiss to the skin just below his ear.
"Didn't you say something about food?" she whispered, smiling against his skin.
"Yeah," he whispered, giving the bottom of her ear one final nibble before letting his lips catch her neck once or twice. "I'd rather devour you, though."
His stomach argued with him at that. It wanted to real food.
"I'll see if Regen will go get us something. Don't move a muscle."
Reluctantly slipping himself away from the woman, he left the bed and went into the hall.
Rose let him go with a soft groan of frustration, pouting dramatically at his back when he did finally pull away.
Once he'd left the room though she found herself drifting. She rolled onto her back and frowned at the ceiling, trying to pick through the flashes of memory from the fight that grew gradually more coherent the more she focused on them.
That man... She hadn't recognized the voice, but that didn't mean much. She'd never really met any of her dad's old "friends". Something had been weird about him though, beyond the obvious; he'd taken blows that should have been debilitating and walked them off like nothing.
Maybe...maybe the blade? Was that distinctive? She hadn't really gotten a good look at it, though of course those particular memories were even fuzzier than the rest. She couldn't recall much beyond the pain after he'd stabbed her, and maybe flashes of Dinny calling her name, gods it hurt to even remember that look on his face, and-- and then...
Rose bolted upright. "Oh gods!"
I told him I loved him.
She told me she loved me! She told me she loved me!
He had almost forgot as he limped cheerfully into the next room. Now that he had a moment alone, he was able to recollect some of the recent events they endured together. A lot of pain, a lot of fear, and Rose told him she fucking loved him.
Regen turned the corner as Dinny was practically singing. "Hey Din, everything-"
"Rose told me she loved me," he interrupted with gleeful purpose. "Oh, can you or one of the guys run out and get us some food? Anything will do."
Regen wanted to inquire further about his first statement, but knew the condition they were in and quickly obliged. "Sure thing," she said. "We'll take care of you. Now go back to bed and get some more rest. You look like shit."
At some point Rose had flopped back onto the bed, her hands covering her face. Despite how injured Dinny had been, she figured it was too much to hope that he may have forgotten that particular detail.
"I thought I was dying," she grumbled into her hands. "I was— there was a lot of blood loss. You can't blame me for that..."
Gods. She knew it, she'd known it for a while, but to actually say it? Say it to him?
She had no idea what to do with that.
Making his way back to the room, he decided not to bring it up: the L word that she said. He knew Rose, and knew that one: she either would not remember; or two: she only said it because she thought she was going to die. Clearly, she wouldn't want to talk about it, so he wouldn't press the issue. Hearing it just the once and knowing how she felt was enough for him.
"Hey, you okay?" he asked as he crept back into the room. He couldn't help notice the woman's face buried in her hands.
"Gah!"
Rose started, then winced as her stab wound protested the sudden movement. Loudly. She rolled onto her uninjured side to look at him and quickly tried for a smile. "Um, yeah. Fine. Any luck on the food front?"
Dinny was a little startled by her reaction. Startled that he startled her. Rose wasn't easy to sneak up on, after all. "Yeah, they're going to get us something," he replied with a cheek grin. He was slow moving, a bit of a limp, but he made it back to her side, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Think you can wait about an hour? It shouldn't take any longer than that."
"Mm, I suppose if I must." She mock pouted dramatically, but the expression didn't last long. With a hint of color to her cheeks, she shifted on the bed to give him more room and nodded to the place beside her. "So. A whole hour, huh?"
Her eyes took on a bit of the more familiar, teasing glint and she chuckled softly, "If either of us could move without groaning, I'm sure I could think of some interesting ways to pass the time."
Dinny smiled playfully. He thought about the same thing.
And then he had an idea.
"I'm not too bad off," he said casually, slipping off of the bed and letting his knees touch the floor. He was lying, of course, but fuck it. "Just lay back and relax, I'll let you know when the food gets here."
Regen left the assassin with very little clothing in order to treat her, so that made it all more easy for the bandit's lips to caress her bare legs. Pulling her a little closer into him, his face traveled up her inner legs until he was right where he wanted to be, and he pleasured her like it was his last day on earth.
"Hang on, what are you--? Oh gods."
Rose actually yelped as she realized what he was getting at. Her fingers curled into the sheets and she had to take a moment and breathe to avoid actually crying out.
She hadn't been with anyone since him, since that island, and she hadn't realized how much she missed him. That had been one of the longest dry spells of her adult life, for gods' sakes!
...Okay, that probably said more about her than she really wanted to consider for the moment.
"Dinny." Her voice was a little thick as she pushed herself up. It hurt, but she didn't care. She sat at the edge of the bed and reached down to curl her fingers in his hair. "Din, it's-- it's okay," she panted lightly. "You really don't...have to do this...oh my gods..." Her feeble protests melted into a soft moan and she curved her body forward over him, both hands in his hair now as though to anchor herself.
Dinny didn't rise. He lifted a hand to wave off her comment, and continued. There was no way he was stopping now. He was in the moment, and her pleasure was his pleasure, and from the sounds of it, he was doing a good job.
Feeling her fingers through his hair felt good, but her hunched over was not going to work. He moved his hand up, fingers tracing up her stomach and through her breasts, before ultimately giving her a gentle push to lay back down.
With a soft huff of defeat Rose allowed herself to be pushed back onto the bed. She had to bite her lip to hold back another soft moan, and her grip on his hair tightened in spasms with particular movements of his lips and tongue.
With her knee over his shoulder, she curved her leg against his back to press him closer as she felt herself climbing, nearing her peak. Despite the pleasure fogging her brain she was wary of making too much noise, and when the tension snapped she managed to drag him up her body and leaned up to meet him with a kiss. Her hand curved around the back of his neck and she just held him against her as she panted, struggling to come down from the high.
Dinny chuckled after the kiss, and let his face rest on the warmth of her breasts. "Feel better?" he asked, all-too-happy with himself.
The hour had passed, and as promised, Regen returned with food. More food than the crew could really afford. The bandit shrugged that off because, quite frankly, stealing things was there specialty.
Rose chuckled quietly in turn and dropped a kiss onto the top of his head. "A little," she admitted teasingly. She heard footsteps, assumed it was Regen returning, and her lips suddenly curved into a smirk. She slid her hand down between them to give him a firm stroke through his breeches and whispered, "Bet I could make it even better though."
Then food had arrive and she sat back, easily shifting into a more modest position with her legs curled up on the bed, hands folded innocently in her lap. She quirked an eyebrow at the feast and looked up at the thief. "You lot raid the whole market district for this?"
"Don't be ridiculous," Regen quickly retorted. "Only half the district."
She set up some bed-side tables and placed the food in front of them promptly. Following, she filled empty glasses with water and provided those as well. "Go on, eat up," Regen said. "There will be more in the actual dining room when you want it. You two have been in bed long enough. You're going to need to start at least trying to move around soon."
Regen did not wait for a response before swiftly leaving the room.
The bard huffed and grumbled a reluctant, "I suppose she's right," even as she tucked into the food that was spread before them. She ate eagerly but carefully-- she'd been hurt badly enough and often enough to know that just shoveling it all down, even when she was starving, was just going to make her sick.
Rose glanced sidelong at Dinny, her legs still curled up onto the bed so she was sort of perched on the edge.
"...What will you tell them? If we have to go."
Dinny let her question sit for a moment as he chewed his food.
Rata had left him for dead time and time again. Markus and Jarvis wouldn't care. Regen and Spade were the only ones who it would truly affect, but they would understand. The Canary Crew had different hideouts all over, so even if they ran, it wasn't a guarantee that they wouldn't run into them again.
Sure, they'd have to operate any type of meet-ups under the shadows, but - despite the lighthearted fools they often portrayed themselves as - they were very proficient at that. Despite near deaths and botched jobs, they were still alive, and they've evading authorities time and time again.
He knew nothing about the man that wanted to kill Rose, but he had to believe that they would be safe from him, if they needed to be.
"Not much to tell," he finally said. "We're going on a vacation. We don't know when we'll be back. I'll let Spade and Regen know what's really going on, and they'll do what they have to do, like we've always done."
Rose looked at him sidelong, trying to read whatever he was thinking on his face. She sighed quietly and twisted to press a kiss against the side of his neck, nuzzling into him before she let her head just rest on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I'm so sorry, Dinny. I never wanted..."
Well. She'd never wanted a lot of this. Never wanted her parents dead. Never wanted to take up the life she had. Never wanted to meet someone like Dinny. Never wanted to put him in danger. Never wanted to fall in love.
But there was no use in wishing, not at this point.
She turned her face into the curve of his neck and shoulder, letting her hand come to rest on his thigh.
Dinny let his head rest atop hers, closing his eyes for the moment he wasn't eating. No need to apologize, he thought. This is perfect.
It would take several weeks for them to fully recover - longer if the process wasn't sped up by Regen's magic. During that time, it was much of the same. Sleep, eat, stretching their legs, a quick fuck here and there when they were finally up for it, enjoying the warmth of each other, all confined to that room for the most part.
We're getting hitched! Dinny would tease, making sure everyone was aware of his upcoming absence. No one believed him, but no one really cared to further inquire. Dinny would be gone for a while with Rose. That's what they knew, and they accepted it.
He decided against letting anyone but Spade and Regen know exactly what they were doing, where they were going, that they too should be on the move, and everything else he could think of that seemed relatively important.
"You about ready?" Din asked Rose, slinging a satchel bag of some of his things over his shoulder.
Rose simply watched him from the bed for a long moment. She'd be hard pressed to admit a time she'd been happier in the last eight years than these few weeks, but still, in the final moment before there was no return, she hesitated.
"...They still won't be safe," she whispered, looking up at Dinny almost pleadingly. "I know--I know they can handle themselves, but they won't... He may still come after them."
She didn't know why she was saying it, what she thought it would accomplish. It wasn't as though she expected Dinny to suddenly cave and decide to stay behind. She just...couldn't not say it. It felt like lying.
Dinny's smile was warm and bright.
Yeah. Probably. But he had to believe that they would be fine. So that's what he told her.
"They'll be okay," he said, most for himself than for her. He let his hands rest on her cheeks and gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. "Now stop stalling, m'lady. We've got a ways to go."
She huffed out a breath through pursed lips and grumbled something unintelligible, but got to her feet with a quick, sharp nod. "Alright. You have a ship lined up?"
It was mostly a rhetorical question; they'd staked out a ship days ago, but she couldn't seem to stop herself from asking anyway.
This was the first time she'd done something like this, well...with someone. Before, whenever she disappeared, it was on her own.
"All lined up and ready for sail, Captain Rose," Dinny said, a bit of cheer to his voice. He gave her a little salute and a wink. "I'll be your first mate on this voyage. Name's Dinny the Dashing. It's my pleasure to serve under you."
He dropped his bag back to the floor, sensing her hesitation, and moved behind her. "Don't worry," he whispered, wrapping an arm around her neck and letting his right cheek rest against her left. "This is going to be great."
Rose rolled her eyes for his teasing and chuckled a bit almost despite herself. But when he moved forward to hug her she melted into the embrace, pressing her cheek against his and curving her arms up under his to press against his back.
Her grip was so tight it was almost harsh, and she rather belatedly realized she was shaking. Pushing herself away, she forced a smile and grabbed her pack off the bed, swinging it on over her shoulder.
"Alright then. Come on, we're burning daylight."
Back to Yoreiq then. It felt like it had been a lifetime since they were there, back when they met that faithful night at the local tavern. He almost wanted to revisit that tavern, with her, and take another cruise with her, just for old time's sake.
Well, he could mark one of those off of the list.
They had been out at sea for a few days now, and he'd be lying if he said he wasn't enjoying it. Being the water mage that he was, he always felt naturally drawn to it: the smell of salt water, fresh breeze, wind whipping at his blond hair.
He enjoyed spending it with Rose even more. It was easy for him to forget that they were running, and not on some sort of pleasure cruise vacation.
He stood on the deck, eyes watching forward as the front of the ship crashed lightly against gentle waves.
While Rose had never really been much for sea travel--it was typically a means to an end, nothing more--she found that with Dinny she could almost...feel his content. He clearly loved being on the water, and just seeing him so happy somehow helped put her at ease.
...Gods. She'd gone soft so quickly.
That didn't stop her from coming up behind the thief and winding her arms around his waist as he stood at the rail, slotting her chin into place on his shoulder. "Enjoying the view?"
He let his head fall back slightly to rest into her embrace. "Sure am," he replied cheekily, closing his eyes and letting the breeze tickle his face. "The sea's not too bad either."
He let his hands rest on top of hers, and enjoyed the moment. If paradise existed, it was her.
She chuckled and nipped at the curve of his neck before turning the touch to a soft kiss. "That was the dorkiest thing I've heard in days," she accused softly, though she couldn't seem to stop smiling.
She hugged him gently for a moment, then removed her arms so she could slip around to stand beside him. "...Should be another five or six days, according to the captain," she murmured after a few moments.
"Well, I know one way to pass the time," he teased.
He turned his head slightly to kiss her cheek, completely engulfed in puppy love. Then he let his head rest on hers once again, a relaxed breath escaping his lips. "..What will we do? When we get there?"
Rose shook her head slowly. "Wait, for a while. I have contacts. Some of them owe me favors. I've put a few feelers out to try to figure out exactly who that man was."
She shrugged and huffed out a breath. "So. We'll lay low, wait for any word, be careful. Then...then I guess we'll figure out what comes next when we actually get to it."
She fell silent for a moment, just looking out over the water. Then, rather abruptly, she turned into his side and wrapped her arms around his waist again, looking up into his face. "Were you serious about passing the time?" she purred softly, a hint of teasing in her eyes but also a flicker of something close to vulnerability.
Dinny grinned. It was a big, playful grin. It was also a little bit mischievous. "I'm always serious about that," he answered. He leaned in and kissed her, and as they parted he gave her lower lip a small, teasing nibble.
She chuckled softly against his mouth and let her arms slide up to press against his back for a moment before she stepped away. Her eyes glinted and she raised her hand, crooking a finger and quirking an eyebrow at him playfully.
"In that case, I'll be in the cabin. If you need anything," she murmured and, with a wink, turned to head back below deck.
Dinny really never got tired of Rose's body. Their sex together was basically naked poetry, if poetry could ever reach that level of intensity. He watched her go with longing eyes, letting his gaze linger of her figure and curves as she walked away.
It wasn't long before he joined her back in the cabin. He had already torn off his shirt as he was walking through the door, and once it was shut behind him he was stumbling out of his pants with all the eager one could have.
Rose, leaning back casually on the bed, snorted with laughter as Dinny stumbled through the door already half naked. "Eager there, are we?" she laughed, allowing herself to collapse back onto one elbow as she watched him with the kind of lazy hunger of a large cat on the hunt.
She raised her hand and crooked her finger at him again, titling her head so her hair cascaded down in front of her shoulder. "Help a girl out of her dress?"
"Yes. Ma'am."
Dinny was all-too-eager to help Rose out of her dress, and in a matter of moments her naked body presented itself on the bed. He howled like a wolf. Literally. He howled. He had a big appetite for Rose, but to be fair, he always had a big appetite for Rose. He really didn't see what she saw in him, but he honestly didn't care. He just counted his blessings every night.
"Oh good gods." The bard rolled her eyes and reached up to wrap her arm around his neck, pulling him down into a kiss--as much to shut him up as because she just wanted to. "Could we try for a little decorum?" she murmured against his lips with a smirk.
Her leg hooked out, catching him behind the knee, and she twisted to get him on his back on the bed, perched over him with that same smirk still in place. "Honestly, Din, you'd think you'd never seen me naked before," she muttered as she leaned down to kiss him again.
A small shiver ran down her spine and she rolled her shoulders back, allowing her wings to loosen up from their cramped position pressed against her back and to unfurl just a bit. She pressed a little closer, allowing her body to relax against his as she nuzzled into his neck with a series of soft nips and kisses.
Honestly, the sex was pretty great, but it was this, the--the closeness, the connection she hadn't allowed herself to feel with another person in, well...ever. It was damn near addictive.
A soft sound rather like a purr rumbled in her chest and she pressed even closer, winding her arms around his shoulders as her lips marked a path up his throat and along his jaw to find his mouth again.
"It's a new experience every time lady," he replied between kisses. He ran a hand from the top of her hand to her cheek, cupping it delicately as he looked at her with pleading eyes. It was no longer the lust that drove him to pleasure her, but the love he felt for her.
Dinny had never loved another person like he loved her. He never loved a woman in a romantic sense of way, period. Sure, he had been with women. He loved women. But he loved Rose.
Her soft skin, perfect body, and seducing smile never failed, though, and he was as ready as he could ever be. "Now shut up and fuck me," he whispered the command.
Well when he looked at her like that, how could she deny him anything?
...It probably helped that she really wanted him, too.
Rose smiled into the kiss and gave just that slight shift of her hips to bring them together; she gasped against his mouth as she did, then buried a groan in a hungry kiss. Without ever breaking the contact, she let her hands slide down his back and leaned up, pulling him with her as her hips rolled against his, tortuously slow.
"Dinny..." His name was a shuddered sigh more than anything else, and her wings flared out just a bit wider before sweeping forward to wrap around them both, feathers brushing skin softly. She held him as tight as she dared and turned her face into his shoulder as she picked up the pace.
Dinny's lips were slightly parted as he moved on top of him. It truly was a new experience to him every time like he said. Ecstasy. Every time they had sex, he never wanted it to end. It made him feel invincible, and almost impossible.
She tortured him, then she rewarded him, then she punished him again. She rode him hard and fast, and all he could do was let his hands wander on her soft skin while kissing her neck. If she wasn't careful, he'd explode at any minute, and he really wanted a turn.
A wandering hand skimmed the edge of her wing and Rose gasped as the tingle of sensation rippled out through her whole body. "Gods!" She's almost forgotten how sensitive they could be.
She paused, flushed and panting, and for a moment simply let her brow rest against his, gazes locked as she held him closer. "Dinny, I..."
Love you.
She still couldn't say it.
Lips quirking up on one side, she changed the almost-declaration to a whispered, "I want you on top," even as she twisted to flip their positions. It was a little awkward to lay against the bed with her wings freed, but she managed, squirming underneath him to get comfortable and then drawing in a sharp breath when the wriggling only brought them closer together.
Dinny smiled throughout that entire bit. He knew what she wanted to say. He knew she couldn't say it. He was completely fine with it. Then she flipped them over again, and he was on top, hungry and in command, leaning down to give her a teasing kiss on the lips before pulling away just as quickly.
"I love you too," he said with a grin, and then he began fucking her mercilessly.
"Oh gods--!"
Rose yelped as he suddenly ramped up the intensity, but after an initial moment of surprise her back arched and she let her head fall back into the pillow with a low moan. "Oh, you are such an ass," she gasped out with a wry little smirk.
She dragged one hand down his back, nails digging in, then a particular movement of his hips had her gasping again and clinging to him. "A little more, Din," she whispered between sharp, panting breaths. "Just--just a little more..."
He obliged through short ragged breaths, continuing his long, heavy, fast strokes into her. He thought that may this was the best it had ever been, but he honestly thought that every time they were together.
The feeling of her thick, womanly legs wrapped around him, her nails clawing into his back, her gasps and moans, her eyes locked into his: it drove him wild. He grunted once, and then another time. "I'm going.. I'm going to-"
He didn't finish his sentence. Instead he bit his lower lip and powered through the temptation - not yet at a climax but close enough to where his body was tensing, his face was hot, and nothing should could do or say could stop him.
Another thrust, two, and she went tumbling over the edge with a blissful cry that she muffled by biting down on his shoulder, hard enough to leave quite a bruise. Panting, she had just enough presence of mind to tilt her head and breathe in his ear, "It's okay, sweetheart. Let go."
Her hands dragged up his back again to grip his shoulders, pressing them firmly chest to chest as she rode through the last few ripples of her high.
Every nerve in his body electrified, and that one final thrust set him ablaze, something between a gasp and moan escaping his mouth as he let himself go.
"Holy shit," he breathed before collapsing back into the bed next to her. He kissed her cheek, smiled, kissed her cheek again, smiled again. "Wanna go again?" he teased.
Rose laughed and curled onto her side, her arms still around him as she snuggled close. "I dunno, Din, you sure you don't need to take a breather?" she teased lightly, and leaned in to peck his nose.
Her expression softened slightly as she pulled back to look at his face, and she let one wing curve up and forward to wrap around them both, a feathery cocoon.
Breathe in. Breathe out. She turned her face into his shoulder and focused on the air filling her lungs. In and out. In...out...
"I do love you," she whispered, her voice so soft it was almost nonexistent. "I know I'm not...very good at it. But I love you, Dinny."
Dinny held his hand on his heart and faked a quick heart attack.
The joke didn't last long, and his laugh turned into a warm smile before he placed his hand on her cheek. "Yeah," he replied. "I love you too, Rose. And no matter what happens.. I'll stay with you. Always."
Blushing deeply, Rose grumbled a few insults and shoved halfheartedly at his chest. But then he was holding her again and she huffed out a breath, cuddling a little closer.
"...Okay." She smiled into his chest, arms wrapped loosely around his waist. Giving his side a vindictive little pinch, she muttered, "That means no dying before me, got it?"
Dinny chuckled. As if I can help that, he thought, recalling all of the times he nearly died from his own dumb mistakes. But he nodded, and he gave her a soft kiss. "Promise."
The rest of their trip at sea went mostly like that. Even with their current situation, Dinny and Rose were in a certain state of bliss with one another. They made love. They fucked. They held each other. They enjoyed each other, physically, mentally, and emotionally.
It was as good as it could get.
But then they made landfall in Yoreiq, and Dinny was reminded as to why they were on that ship in the first place.
Rose was waiting on the deck when they finally put in to port, leaning back against the rail and craning her neck around to watch the slight bustling of Ainu.
Wonder if Mum ever missed this... It was an idle thought, just slipping through the back of her mind, but it still startled her. In nearly eight years she hadn't had a single idle thought about her parents.
She was inclined to blame Dinny. Stupid, impossible Dinny. Somehow, even just admitting to herself that she loved him had...opened something. But admitting it to him? When she wasn't dying?
Gods, she was well and truly fucked.
Dinny was busy gathering their things back in the cabin, as he promised Rose he would, but soon found his way to the deck. The sea in front of the ship had faded, and all that was left was the remnants of the shore aside the ship. He scanned the deck, their bags slung over his shoulder.
"There she is," he announced as he walked quietly behind the assassin. "There's the Goddess herself."
He wrapped an arm around her waist from behind, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "How you feeling, sweetness?"
Rose started a bit. She hadn't heard him coming--that wasn't like her.
Well. It seemed to be like her now.
I'm going to get us both killed.
She pushed that particular thought from her mind and leaned into his side a bit, giving a noncommittal "Mmm" in response. "Ready to be on dry land for a while. You?"
She twisted in his arms to face him, head tilted. "We might be here for a while, y'know."
"Ready to be on dry land with you," he replied. "So, let's make the most of our time here. How about we go back to the bar where we first met? We can do a little bit of role playing. You'll play the beautiful bar maiden who's an undercover assassin, and I'll play the hopeless romantic who tries to win a date with you. Here's the twist: the date will actually be a con job, because my real role is that of a master thief."
His teasing was evident, and his smile was playful.
"Oh, shove off," Rose laughed and pushed his face away from hers gently. "Gods, Dinny, sometimes I think if you took anything seriously you might actually die."
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. The smile began to fade though, gradually, and she glanced out over the port again.
"...We need to figure out how he tracked me down the first time," she murmured, almost to herself. "If we can do that, we might be able to get an edge on him."
Dinny laughed at that. It was true. He might actually die if he took things too seriously. Life was too short for all of that, anyhow.
"First things first," he said, taking her hand in his own. "We need to get out of the open. If this guy is as good as you say he is, he could be watching us right now."
A long shot, but not impossible.
"Yeah, I know." She sighed and dragged a hand down her face. "Believe me, Din, I've thought of that. What I don't know if what we can do about it."
Her mouth drew into a tight line and she leaned into him a little more, the movement almost unconscious. "I don't know these islands," she murmured. "I don't know where we can go that's safe. Or, well, safer."
Which, she hoped, would mean their pursuer wouldn't have a good lead on where to look. How could he know where they were if she didn't even know where they were going?
"Well, no sense in just standing here," he said after a moment, taking her hand in his, his fingers wrapping into the opening of hers like a true couple. "I know a place."
Dinny always knew a place. He had places all over. Hell, the crew had a few hideouts here. He wasn't entirely sure which ones were abandoned, found out, or still standing, but he had a pretty good idea of one place that was always available.
Her instinct was to protest, to shy away from relying on him. But then she took a breath, forced the feeling away, and squeezed his hand gently.
"Alright." She looked up at him with a small, quick smile. "I'm following you then."
Dinny was almost too happy to see that one of the old hideouts looked to be mostly untouched, if at all, since that last time they were there. Venturing on the path less traveled, the thief brought the assassin up several hills and climbs through a mountain on the outskirts of town, until they happened upon it.
It was a small cave, much like the one they had spent the night in on that island, but with a few roll-outs for beds, and tucked away under a waterfall. The Oasis, as Dinny called it. It was more of a vacation spot than a hideout in his eyes, but it was still a hideout considering most people didn't even know it was back there.
Out of the way, and any sound they made would be silenced by the roars of the white waters falling into the ocean below.
"There's always a lot of fruit growing around here," he told her, dropping his bag onto the ground. "If you want, I can go out and get us a few day's supply, and you can rest."
He kissed her on the forehead three times in a row, being aggressively dorky. "You'll be safe here. I promise."
Rose followed him behind the waterfall and had to admit she was intrigued. Just how often did the Canary Crew need to use hideouts like this? And where? She's always thought of her mother's country as pretty remote.
She screwed her face up when Dinny kissed her, but tipped her head back and wrapped her fingers in his collar so she could peck his lips before releasing him.
"I can gather food," she told him. "My mother taught me which fruits are best here, when I was little. Maybe set up a campfire?"
No way in hells was she letting him go out there on his own.
"Your wish is my command," he grinned, giving her a little bow while he was at it. "Just do me a favor and be careful, okay? I love the hell out of you, and I'd hate to see anything happen to you."
He knew they would probably be fine there, at least for a little while, but he still needed to say it. He gave her another quick kiss, this time on the cheek, and took a step off of the ledge that led into the cave to carry the wood.
" I can manage on my own, y'know," Rose laughed, shaking her head at him. "I was doing it for the better part of a decade before I met you."
She gave his hip a playful little swat before inching out passed him along the ledge and heading out in the thick jungle again.
She was almost positive that she knew what she was doing. Sure, she'd never actually been to Yoreiq with her mother, but Moana's stories had been very big on vivid detail. Surely that counted for something.
He waited until she was out of sight before he began his his search. Campfire. Sounds romantic, he thought. A hidden oasis in the lush paradise that was Yoreiq - did they ever have to leave?
While gathering, he removed his shirt, hopping from ledge to ledge, feeling the warm sun on his back and shoulders while there was still perfectly good daylight to soak up. It didn't take him long to gather the necessary materials they would need to make it through the night, and he was soon carrying his finds back into their makeshift home.
He dropped the wood just outside of the cave entrance, far enough from the falling water to keep it from extinguishing the fire, but close enough to enjoy the sounds and stay out of sight.
Now what was he suppose to do? Typically on a pretty day like this, he would grab a bite to eat with Regen, or get into some trouble with Spade, taking the paddle boats out on the ocean and spend the afternoon fishing with the crew, or performing an easy con.
He was just stuck there. They were just stuck there. It may have been beautiful scenery, but it was no way to live. He sat down just outside where he mapped out the campfire spot, crossing his legs over one another and closing his eyes.
He wondered if the day where they could enjoy each other out in the open, away from hiding, would ever come.
Rose returned after half an hour or so and dumped an armful of fruit into Dinny's lap without much ceremony.
"That'll get us through today and tomorrow, at least," she huffed as she sat beside him, her back to the falls. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to enjoy the feeling of the sunlight filtered through the leaves hitting her face.
It was easy to forget, out here in the jungles, away from even the faint bustle that was Ainu. Easy to pretend that nothing was wrong.
Too easy.
The fruit landed in his lap abruptly, some staying put and some rolling off just the side of his legs. He took an apple and sunk his teeth into it. "Nice work," he said in between chews. "Your talents are up to snuff in my book, you'd make a good crew captain."
He smiled and took another bite before setting the now half-eaten fruit in his lap. "..So, should we talk about him?"
She sighed and leaned her shoulder against his lightly. "Honestly? I'm not sure what good it would do at this point," she muttered after a moment. "We still don't know anything--and it'll be at least a week before any of my contacts can get back to me."
She frowned as she looked out over the water, evidently uninterested in the food.
"...What's your family like, Din?"
"Oh. Uhh..."
The question caught him off guard. He wasn't accustomed to talking about his family. He was accustomed to talking about his adopted family, the Canary Crew, but he knew that's not what she was asking.
He let his fingertips find the top of her hand before wrapping them into hers. "I've only really known my parents and the crew," he said. "My parents were.. well, my father died when i was still young. My mother lives in Serendipity now. He was a Yoreiq, she is Serenian. They were both proud, loving parents. Good, honest people." He grinned, a small laugh slipping from his lips. "Nothing like me. I was always getting into trouble."
"Do you still see her?" She didn't look at him, but she reached over to take his hand gently, rubbing circles with her thumb. With a lopsided little smile, she murmured, "I know it's weird, asking out of the blue, I just...was wondering."
"It's sweet of you to ask," he said with a quick side glance at her. "And yes, I visit my mom a couple of times a year, at least. I love her. I.. should probably see her soon, actually."
When was the last time he did see her? It had been a longer stretch than usual, with everything that had happened. "Do you.. Do you think she would be in any danger?"
Rose twisted her head to look at him, and felt her heart twist in her chest. For a moment she thought about lying to him, but she knew that wouldn't really do either of them any good.
"Yes," she sighed after a long, tense silence. "If they find out she's important to you, then yes."
She drew her hand back slowly, clasping both in her lap. "I'm...I'm so sorry, Din. I know that doesn't make it better, I just—I'm sorry."
Dinny's expression change. He tried not to let Rose see it, but he didn't do a very good job. A knot formed in his stomach and his heart skipped a beat. Mom. He never thought anything he ever did would put her in danger.
"It's not your fault," he said with a half-forced smile. "I'm sure she'll be fine. We'll just have to take care of the problem before it comes to that, right?"
He gave her a playful nudge. "What about you?" he asked. "Can you tell me anything about your family?"
It was her fault. Definitively and completely her fault.
But she couldn't say that, not when he was trying so hard just to keep that smile on. She could see it behind his eyes, and it broke her heart a little.
With a small sigh, she glanced away again and murmured, "Well...I'm the other way around, you know that. Dad Serenian, Mum was Yoreiqi." She paused, thinking, then suddenly smiled softly and noted, "Y'know, my mother was a water mage too. Funny, I hadn't really thought about that in years... She was never particularly powerful or anything, but she used to use the magic to help her garden..."
Dinny's regular smile had returned, and he had practically pushed the thought of anything happening to his own mother out of his mind. There was no sense in worrying about it right now, anyway, since he was physically unable to do anything about it.
"Well, she sounds like a hell of a woman," he replied. "And probably a knockout too, since she made you. You know, I use my magic to water my garden all of the time too," he teased. "That's so crazy."
"Stop it." She shoved at him lightly, lips curved on one side in a half smile. Tilting her head at him, her expression softened slightly and she murmured, "Really though, sometimes...sometimes you actually remind me of her. Not in a weird way, just..." She sighed and looked away again, running a hand through her hair. "...I think she would have liked you."
"Oh, my mom would love you," he shot back eagerly. "Not your profession, of course. She would never condone that, but to be fair she doesn't condone what I do. But she would love you for putting up with me."
That left a goofy smile on his face and he leaned his head on top of hers. "I would have loved to have met her."
Her lips twitched into a brief semblance of a smile and she pressed a little more firmly against him. "Yeah," she murmured. "Yeah. Me too."
With a soft exhale, Rose allowed her eyes to close for a moment and simply rested there. That same small ache in her heart that seemed to grow bigger any time Dinny dragged anything real out of her pulsed, but for once she didn't think she actually minded all that much.
The nearby waterfall dropped off into a spring below. Jumping straight down it's path would only lead to jagged rocks, broken bones, perhaps death. But just a little walk down the path would give him just enough space to dive into the swimming water. Daylight's a-wasting.
He kissed her cheek, shuffled delicately away from her, and stood. "Well, I think I'll go for a swim," he grinned and slipped out of his boots. Already without a shirt, that only left him with pants, but he decided to take those off as well. "Join me if you want."
He was naked in a matter of seconds, and he tip-toed to the clearing and jumped in head first.
The splash was minimal compared the water crashing down from the falls, and he soon surfaced with a refreshing gasp of air.
Rose sighed softly and rolled her eyes, but she got to her feet to pick her way carefully down the path after him.
"We're not really on a vacation, you know," she commented with an arched brow, watching him from the edge of the water.
Much as the locale made her wish it were otherwise. The greenery was truly astounding, and there were colorful flowers and fruits growing so abundantly here that she'd never seen anywhere on the mainland. Despite everything, it rather was like a mini paradise.
He grinned at her teasingly before sinking back under the surface. Ripples of the waves he caused above her showed his movement, and after several moments he surfaced again, shaking his head to fling the water from his hair like a wet dog.
"I know," he said playfully, "but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy ourselves, does it?"
"It does a little." Rose frowned at him, though she did edge slightly closer to the water. "Din, we need...well, a real plan, for starters. Some sort of defenses wouldn't hurt. Maybe a better knowledge of the general area?"
Dinny leaned his head back into the water until he floated on his back, his legs kicking gently as he placed his hands behind the back of his head as if he were lounging in an armchair. "First of all, I know this area like I know your backside," he replied. "But yeah, we probably need a plan. I really don't know what we're dealing with here, other than what we already experienced. As long as I'm this close to the water, we can use it to our advantage."
"Well..." She hedged, but the water did look rather inviting... "I suppose if we just...relaxed for a bit. We can always come up with a definite plan tomorrow..."
She hesitated, then huffed a defeat and began to strip out of her clothes. It only took a few seconds, then she slipped into the water carefully, doing her best to arch her wings to keep her feathers as dry as possible.
Dinny moved through the water like a seasoned fish, casually surfacing in front of her and letting his fingers slide up her sides as he did so. "It's going to be okay," he tried to convince her before giving her shoulders a gentle rub. "We just need time to really think this out."
He kicked back and allowed himself to float on his back again, gentle waves rippling around him with each little kick he made to wade through the waters. "Maybe we can bait him," he said. "I'll be the bait of course, but this time we would be ready."
Rose squeaked quietly and twisted away from his touch, backing up so she could perch on a rocky outcrop at the edge of the pool. She was still mostly submerged, but with the bit of rock beneath her she could at least spread her wings out behind her without worry of getting them soaked.
Then her eyes widened and she snapped out a near instinctive, "No!" Narrowing her eyes, she continued, "No, Din. Under no circumstances are we using you as bait. If I can manage it, we're not even going near that asshole again."
Dinny looked rather helpless in return. "Yeah, but," he trailed off, trying to get his words right. "Is it really worth living like this? Don't get me wrong, this is nice, but.. always looking over one's shoulder? Always worrying about your loved ones? I know this is the type of thing you wanted to avoid but.. This is bigger than any other threat you've faced. Wouldn't you want to make sure he could never hurt us again?"
"Dinny." She caught his arm as he swam passed, forcing him to stop and meet her eyes. "I never said I was going to let him live. I just said we're not getting near him."
She paused, her eyes flicking over his face, a tight sorrow almost like grief behind the blue. "...But this is what I was talking about. All of this. Din, my life is this." She'd tried to tell him, tried to warn him, tried so many times. "My life is looking over my shoulder, being afraid, being scared that the people I love are in constant danger. Dinny...this is it."
Dinny stood from the water and took her hands in his own. "I know," he whispered. "And I don't mind that life, if it's a life with you. But.. this? This is different. I've never seen you like this before. I've never seen you so... scared."
It was only when she squeezed his hands that Rose realized her own were shaking. Eyes downcast, she whispered, "I am scared, Dinny."
She took in a slightly shaky breath, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm more scared than I've ever been in my life. He--Whoever that man was, he killed my parents. He knows who I am. He's known for eight years, but only now came after me. Why? I don't know who he is or what he's capable of, and I am scared."
Her hands were shaking more violently now. She drew them back, curling them into fists in her lap.
"Hey, hey."
His tone changed completely. It wasn't playful or teasing, or flirty or sweet. It utterly baffled him to see Rose the way she was. For all of the time that he knew her, he had never seen her like this. He had never known her to be so.. terrified. So scared. So beaten.
Fuck this guy.
He stood closer to her and wrapped his arms around her head, giving her face his chest for support if she so choose. "You're scaring me," he said honestly. "The Rose I know would never let some chump like him get to her so badly. The Rose I know would stare that danger right in the face and kick it in the balls."
Rose gave a short, cracked burst of laughter and turned her face into his chest, her arms snaking around his middle to hold him a little closer.
"Maybe," she mumbled. "But I--I honestly don't know if I can be that Rose anymore..."
She was scared, and she hated it. But she couldn't make it stop.
She sighed and sort of absently pressed a kiss to the center of Dinny's chest, her hands falling to land lightly on his hips. "Maybe you're right," she murmured after another moment. "I mean...I can't exactly see anything we can do about it just this moment. Maybe we can just...enjoy, for a while."
She kissed him again, lips skimming lightly over his heartbeat.
He let his hands found the back of her head, gently playing with her locks as she pressed lovingly into his chest. "I can't think of anything else I'd rather do," he replied. He would leave it at that. She didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't want to talk about it.
He knew they would have to eventually, but for now they didn't have to. They were practically in paradise by his standards. Better to enjoy it now while they could and treat her like the queen she was.
Rose pressed another kiss to the center of his chest, almost absently, her thumbs rubbing lightly back and forth over his hips.
"...Tell me something, Din," she murmured, tilting her head back to look into his face for a moment. "Something I don't know about you yet. Just something."
As she spoke, her hands slid around from his hips to rive his rear a quick squeeze, and she shot him a crooked smile before moving her touch back into more modest territory.
Dinny's smirk turned into playful surprise as he felt the tug on his ass. Naughty girl, he thought with a happy-go-lucky sense of pride. "Before you, I was a virgin," he lied badly.
His face gave his lie away, and he tossed it away with a quick squeeze of her hip. "Seriously, though.. Something you don't know about me yet? I can play the lute. I'm not bad at it either. Of course, the only real reason I ever learned how to play was because I have a thing for bards."
"What a coincidence, huh?"
She snorted at that particular lie and rolled her eyes, then chuckled quietly when he squeezed her hip. She pressed a little closer to him, rising up on her knees out of the water and letting her wings arch and curve forward, just a bit.
"Do you know?" Her lips curved in a teasing smile, head tilted to the side. "Maybe I'll have to have you play accompaniment some time."
"Oh, no no no," he retreated with a sheepish smile. "I'm much too shy for all of that. Besides, you're fully capable of handling yourself on the stage, ma'am. I saw you perform, remember?"
Rose laughed lightly, remembering. "Yeah, I guess you did." She shook her head. "That was kind of a slower one though--I don't think you've really seen me work until I can get a whole tavern room dancing."
"A slow one, but a beautiful one."
There was something so freeing about being absolutely naked in the water with the woman he loved, with no one else around. A feeling he could certainly get use to. He thought he'd be a little more remorseful about abandoning the crew, but he wasn't. He'd make his way back there one day, he thought, and if he didn't.. he didn't. He was happy right where he was.
"I love the way you sing," he continued. "I really do. I'm not just saying that because of our relationship. You have a great voice."
She blushed a bit at that, actually blushed, and ducked her head. "You hush." She gave his shoulder a light shove, then abruptly leaned in to kiss him, one arm snaking up to wrap around his neck as her lips moved against his.
"Don't think flattery will get you anywhere," she teased lightly as she pulled away, mock frowning at him.
"No ma'am," he responded matter-of-fact. "Not at all."
He leaned in for another kiss but a distance sound broke that concentration really quickly. He whipped around in an instant and placed himself completely in front of Rose. "Who's there?!" he demanded.
Ssshh!
There was giggling and there was the hissing sound of someone hushing another person. Din's eyes dropped to a flat state and he took a few steps forward. "Okay, come on out."
Suddenly, two kids, a boy and a girl, stepped from behind a bush. "You twos are naked!" the boy called out with a laugh. "Did you dwop your clothes in the water or something?" the girl asked.
Luckily, Dinny was deep enough in the water to where nothing could be seen below the waist, and he was positioned just right to hide Rose from their adolescent stares.
That didn't mean they hadn't seen anything else, or that he was happy about the situation.
The assassin tensed instinctively and rose half out of the water, already judging the distance between herself and her clothes--and knives.
But then the threat turned out to be...kids.
Gods damnit. A hit on their lives she could handle. Children?
That was up for debate.
"Totally secluded out here, huh?" she muttered wryly, arching an eyebrow at Dinny as she pressed a little closer and wrapped her wings forward around him in an effort to preserve a hint of modesty.
Dinny's response was him scratching the back of his head and laughing nervously. "Well, I thought it was," he said with defeat. "Do your parents know that you're out here?" he called out to them.
"Bite my ass!" the boy yelled before the two of them fled from their sights.
The tension didn't leave Rose's body, not even when the rustling of foliage from the children's passing had faded completely. "We have to move," she murmured, slowly stepping back from Dinny and looking around for their clothes again. "We have to find somewhere else to hide."
The thief buried his face in his face and groaned. "We just got here," came his muffled response
He let his hands drop to his side, and he leaned his head back and sighed almost bitterly. He understood the concern. He thought they would be safe there, but literally day one children had made their way to his secret hiding spot. Secret. His ass.
"I know."
She paused, turning back from their clothes to rub her hands over his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Din, I am. But if a couple of kids can find this place then it's not safe. Not anymore. We have to go."
He groaned again and turned into her, now burying his fast into her breasts. "I know," his muffled pout came from the top of her skin. "But where? This was my best idea."
Rose wrapped her arms around his shoulders and let her cheek rest against the top of his head for a moment.
"We'll just...head deeper into the jungle," she murmured eventually. "We shouldn't check into town again for a least a week. We'll find somewhere nice and secluded to set up camp, far away from anyone else."
She waited a beat longer, then smiled into his hair and murmured, "But now you have to let me go so we can get dressed.
He let out a breath of defeat and gave her a quick, agreeing nod. "Yeah, clothes," he murmured. "We should move fast, then. It will be nightfall soon."
Rose disentangled herself from his arms and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then turned to gather up her clothes. She dressed quickly and started making her way back up the path along the waterfall, calling back, "Let's grab what we left in the cave and get moving."
First he had to make his way out of the water, and then he had to shake off for a quick dry, and then he drug his feet back to the top where they had set up camp for what was suppose to be a few weeks at the very least.
He slipped back into his clothes, still damp from swimming, and it seeped lightly into his clothes. He broke down what he set up, collected the food Rose had gathered and tossed it into his bag, and began covering their tracks the best he could before they moved to their next location.
Rose set about helping him cover the traces of their presence, constantly looking around to be sure they were really alone, shoulders set and tense.
"Do you know which direction toward the center of the island?" she asked Dinny quietly after a few moments. If he didn't she could always fly up and try to get the lay of the land, but she didn't want to risk being seen if she didn't have to.
The thief did know the way to the center of the island. He was pretty familiar with most areas in Yoreiq, so he had that going for him at least.
"Sure. We would need to head east from here," he started, feeling the direction of the wind on his face and giving a quick scan through the trees. "Which is that way."
He pointed in the opposite direction from which they had come.
"East it is, then." Setting her shoulders back, she gave him her bet effort at a confident smile and jerked her head. "Right then. Let's be off."
She started into the trees, eyes still wary and jaw a little too tense.
He nodded reluctantly and followed. He really liked that spot. He had it in his mind that it would be their spot. Maybe when all of this was over, he thought, and then he thought if "all of this" was ever a thing that ended.
"I must really love you," he teased as he followed her into the trees. "Cause I'll follow you wherever you go."
Rose winced, feeling those words cut through her as surely as any blade. She tried not to let him see though, glancing back over her shoulder with a lopsided smile.
"I believe that just means you're whipped, darling," she teased lightly.
"There's no question about that," he replied happily, hurrying his stride until he was directly behind her. He placed his hands on her shoulders as they walked for a moment, as if to guide her through the trees.
She chuckled and paused for a moment so she could twist around and press a kiss to his cheek. Then she kept walking, asking with another soft laugh, "Do you wanna just lead? You're sort of steering me as it is."
"The view is better from back here," he teased before moving alongside her. His hand brushed against the back of hers and he was soon walking in front of her. "But sure. I'll lead."
His smile was cunning when he peered over his shoulder at the woman, and he was soon moving through the trees at a faster pace. They would need to pick up their speed if they wanted to get settled in a new spot before the end of the night.
Rose just rolled her eyes at him and swatted his shoulder as he passed to walk in front of her.
He knew the jungles of this island better than she figured she ever would, and she was more than happy to let him take the lead. She quickened her pace when he did, settling into a familiar rhythm: running away.
Getting to the center of the island before nightfall would have been impossible, but with his knowledge of the landscapes he was able to get them well at least well on their way. "We may have to set up camp soon," he said after some time as the light began to fade below the trees. "This should be a good of spot as any."
It was exactly the center of the island, but it was close. They would have had to walk another hour or two to be well and truly surrounded. Instead, they were in the woods, well-hidden, as they often found themselves now, with nothing in sight but grass, dirt, and tall trees that nearly shielded the stars.
Rose looked around with a shrug and a small nod. "Alright. Well, guess we'd better get cozy then." She smiled and nudged Dinny's arm lightly with hers, allowing her pack to slide down off her other arm so she could get started on setting up a reasonable campsite.
He agreed by letting out a soft exhale and dropping his bag. "Yes dear." He began unfolding their supplies. It was almost dark enough to make setting up camp a pain in his ass, but the thief was used to operating in the shadows and this tedious task was no different.
He'd just as happily sleep in the dirt next to her than on a travel cot or inside a tent, but he didn't want to assume she would if she didn't have to - despite everywhere they have slept. The cave came to mind specifically.
Oh, the cave. Great times in the cave. He often thought about that cave, and what they did in that cave. He usually went back to it whenever moments alone with Rose began to shift intimate, which was quite often, and his mind was occupied enough with the thought that he had nearly set up their sleeping arrangements.
He straightened out and shot Rose a small smile. It was his attempt to prevent her noticing his wet fantasy, but the bulge in his pants was a dead giveaway.
Between the two of them, setting up a serviceable camp went by rather quickly, and soon enough Rose felt, if not confident, at least comfortable enough that they would be safe for the night.
She glanced over at Dinny with a smile when he straightened up, having felt his eyes on her as she lit a small fire and finished arrange rocks in a circle to keep in contained. The bard was certainly no stranger to those looks--particularly from Dinny himself--so it wasn't exactly a leap to figure out what he was thinking.
She arched an eyebrow, lips quirking toward one side. "You're incorrigible, d'you know that?"
He flashed a sheepish grin, his eyes reflecting a plea for forgiveness as he instinctively raised his hands in a defensive gesture. "I know," he agreed.
Allowing the moment to linger, he took a pause to reflect on the whirlwind of events. It became apparent that someone was targeting the woman he loved. Despite any protests she might make, he was determined not to let any harm befall her, even if it meant putting himself in harm's way.
"Honestly, Rose, how much longer can we keep running?"
She sighed and dug the heels of her palms into her eyes for a moment.
"...I don't know," she whispered. "I honestly don't. But...what else can we do, Dinny?"
A wearied exhale escaped him. The Dinny she had grown accustomed to, the carefree and endearing individual, seemed to have vanished temporarily, replaced by a man bearing a grave demeanor and genuine concern.
Descending to one knee before her, he gently clasped her hands in his, his eyes searching hers for a meaningful connection. "We can't run forever, Rose," he murmured tenderly. "But I can buy you some time."
She shook her head slowly, but the gesture seemed more habitual than anything else. "I have contacts," she sighed. knew things"People who can look into it, but... Din, he knew things. About me, about my parents, it-- I..."
She exhaled slowly and shook her head again. This was everything she'd been afraid of since she'd first reached out to one of her father's old employers for a contract.
His eyes lingered on her, a mix of love and concern evident. "What exactly does he know?" he inquired. "What does that mean for us, exactly?"
Dinny's heart wrenched, feeling powerless to help her escape this awful situation.
Rose met his eyes, and it occurred to her that she'd never actually explained. She'd given him the bare facts, just enough so he knew why they were running, why she was afraid, but...
"My father used to do this," she whispered, and unconsciously found herself reaching for his hands. "Used to do...what I do. Kill people. Not an assassin, not really, he was a...a mercenary. But not a guard, or an extra man in a phalanx, he was...a hit man, I guess. And it--he was good at it." She swallowed. "He kept me and Mum out of it, as much as he could. But that kind of job, it makes people angry. It makes people seek vengeance."
She closed her eyes, focusing on her breath. "When I came home that day--when I found them--" Her throat tightened. She took another breath, then pushed through. "No one else ever came after me. And they should have--they way Mum and Da were k-killed...I found out later it was specific. A signature, from a mercenary band based out of Zantaric. And they don't leave survivors."
She forced herself to meet Dinny's eyes again. "I don't know how they found out about me. It's been almost ten years. But I'm a loose end to them--they went for Sorren's family, and they missed one. I'm a mark on their record."
Din's heart plummeted into the depths of his stomach. The usual cool, collected Rose was replaced by a side he had never witnessed, and it sent shivers down his spine. She was gripped by fear, a fear so primal it harkened back to childhood, an unease in the face of darkness.
Simultaneously, a fiery rage ignited within him. Witnessing the person he cherished the most reduced to a state of terror fueled an inferno of fury in his chest. His jaw tightened, fists clenched, and thoughts of safeguarding her by any means consumed his mind.
Nevertheless, he maintained a steadfast gaze on her.
"Alright," he uttered deliberately, as he sorted through his thoughts. "We either keep running or stand our ground. I won't allow anything to happen to you. Nothing."
"I don't want to run forever." She squeezed his hands tightly. "But we don't--we don't have enough information. I know the organization that--that ordered the hit, but this man...it sounded like it was him. He was the one who did it. So they sent him after me, for... I don't know. Either because he didn't finish the job properly the first time, or he undertook it himself. A pride thing."
Professional killers could be like that. She should know.
She sighed and curved forward a bit, letting her brow rest on his shoulder. "We can't let him catch us unawares again. But he won't stop until either I'm dead...or he is."
He couldn't stand seeing her like this, so he made an attempt to return to the Dinny she knew best.
His eyes twinkled with mischief as he listened, maintaining his playful demeanor. "Ah, running's a great workout, but I'm with you on not turning it into a lifelong marathon. And yeah, dealing with prideful hitmen, a real pain in the ass, isn't it?"
He gave her hands a reassuring squeeze before adopting a more serious tone. "Listen, I may be full of bad jokes, but I'm dead serious about keeping you safe. We'll outsmart this guy, stay a step ahead, and give him a run for his money. No one messes with us, especially not some assassin with a pride problem."
His tone softened, genuine concern replacing the earlier playfulness. "I've got your back, always. We'll figure this out together, okay?"
Her lips twitched on one side in the barest ghost of a smile. She nuzzled into his shoulder a bit before pulling back with a small sigh.
"I know," she murmured. "I know you do. I know we will."
She looked out over the jungle sprawling away from their current hiding place and sighed quietly. "At least the chances of him finding us out here are slim to none."
She was right, and the two managed to stay alone, secluded, and safe for a considerable duration. Time passed, perhaps weeks or even a month, during which they skillfully sustained themselves in the wilderness. They cherished each other's company, exploring both the depths of their connection and their bodies. Dinny underwent physical training, growing stronger in the often challenging conditions, and they moved cautiously to elude those tracking them.
Though Dinny couldn't admit it to Rose, the isolation started to wear on him. He longed for his friends, missed his mother, and yearned for the simple pleasures like having a drink at the pub. Equally, he missed the camaraderie of executing cons with his crew. He looked forward to a day when he could openly share his life with Rose, proudly introducing her to his world.
Maintaining a positive outlook and a charming smile most of the time, Dinny couldn't shake the fear that subtle shifts in his demeanor might betray the slight lows he felt.
Rose was quite good at reading people--she had to be, considering what it was she did for a living--and that came even easier the better she knew someone.
She rather thought she knew Dinny quite well by this point, and she knew the constant hiding was taking its toll on him. Which was exactly what she'd expected, and been afraid of.
One morning, crouched beside a stream to fill their waterskins, she noted cautiously, "You know...we could probably risk heading into a village. Get a few supplies, maybe. It's been long enough, I can't imagine there'd be any agents waiting for us--if anyone ever bothered to come to the islands in the first place."
His eyes lit up at the prospect, despite his best efforts to mask his initial excitement.
In truth, Rose's kind offer to venture into town for supplies tugged as his conflicted heart. The isolation, of course, had worn on him, and the prospect of rejoining the world both sparked excitement and wariness. His love for Rose made the decision full of both concern and longing.
Then, a notion sparked—an amusing one, perhaps whimsical but undeniably an idea.
A playful glint sparked in Dinny's eyes as he considered her offer. "You know," he began, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, "I've always had a knack for creating disguises. How about we turn this little outing into an undercover adventure? I'll craft us disguises so good, even the Gods won't recognize us."
The notion of playfully slipping into different roles felt like a breath of fresh air, a chance to navigate the town's streets with a touch of whimsy alongside his Rose. As he suggested their covert transformation, Dinny couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation for the escape from the isolation that held them.
Rose snorted quietly and rolled her eyes, but she was smiling just a bit. "If you like," she mock-sighed. "Go on then."
She had no idea what his definition of "disguise" was, but considering how long they'd gone without a sign of being pursued, she figured it would be safe enough to brave a small town. As long as they didn't go into port, they should be fine.
Dinny scanned the dense wooded area surrounding their makeshift campsite on the secluded island, his mind racing for ideas on how to create unique yet effective disguises. The sound of waves lapping against the shore provided a subtle backdrop as he and Rose planned their clandestine return to town for supplies.
"All right," Dinny began, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We need disguises that will make us blend in but also leave people scratching their heads. Let's make this memorable."
He delved into the thicket, searching for materials that would serve as the basis for their unconventional disguises. Dinny, with his keen eye for detail, spotted a cluster of large, vibrantly colored feathers scattered beneath a tree. A grin spread across his face as he picked them up.
"Feathers," he declared, holding them up triumphantly. "We're going to be the most inconspicuous birds in town."
He could only imagine the look on her face, but his enthusiasm kept him going. He gathered more feathers, fashioning them into elaborate headpieces and capes that mimicked the vibrant plumage of exotic birds. As the disguises took shape, he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of them. This would be the perfect outfit for some lavish and unique masquerade.
"Now for the finishing touch," Dinny said, spotting a patch of wildflowers nearby. He plucked a few blossoms and skillfully weaved them into garlands to enhance their disguise. The vibrant colors and fragrant blooms added an extra layer of absurdity to their feathered ensembles.
"I think we're ready for our grand entrance," Dinny said with a wink. "Let's try these on."
At the end of his little spell, he provided her with a headpiece, a mask, and a makeshift dress that was likely shorter than she probably would have asked for.
I look damn good, he thought to himself as he slipped on his own costume, despite looking like a complete and utter fool.
Rose wasn't even sure how she'd let this happen, but it suddenly had built up too much steam for her to stop it. So she let him fuss and dither until their "disguises" were completed.
Once dressed, she looked herself over before looking back up at him slowly. "Dinny," she drawled, voice and expression flat, "in what way, exactly, is any of this inconspicuous?"
Dinny adorned a proud grin as he eyed his lover up and down. She looked amazing, and it made his tummy flutter (amongst other things) in all of the best ways possible. "Maybe not inconspicuous after all," he admitted cheekily, "but also - who's going to want to talk or study a bunch of crazies walking around town?"
He then scratched his head, trying to convey his peculiar logic to Rose. "Look, Rose, being inconspicuous is too conspicuous. If we go in there all stealthy and subtle, people will definitely notice. But if we march in, looking like a bunch of crazies, trust me, we'll blend right in! It's the perfect diversion, a subtle way of saying, 'Hey, we're just here for the party, nothing to see!'"
Dinny flashed a mischievous grin, despite the tugging in the back of his mind that this was not, in fact, a good idea.
The thing was...he was sort of right.
Sort of.
Rose sighed and shook her head at him, though her lips were quirked a bit on one side. "What you're talking about is called the bad hair principle," she informed him. "Spies and assassins use it all the time. The idea is, if you have an intentionally bad hairstyle, something eye-catching but not necessarily in a good way, people are going to be a lot more likely to remember the hair than the face under it."
She looked down at her herself, then back up at him wryly. "The thing is, you have to balance it. It's a careful, subtle thing."
Dinny scanned the elaborate costume laid out before him as it wrapped around her figure, his eyes lingering on Rose, which had a daring edge by design that stirred a subtle flutter in his chest.
Could he really not keep his thoughts clean for ten seconds?
Dinny then glanced down at his own elaborate costume, complete with eye-catching accessories, and met Rose's gaze with an exaggerated gasp. "You don't think this is subtle enough, my love? I thought I was practically invisible," he said, feigning hurt. "But if you insist, I'm willing to change it up some more. After all, subtlety is my middle name – well, maybe not, but it should be."
Another affectionate eye roll--and a quick look that conveyed she had caught exactly where and how long his eyes had lingered on her--and then Rose set about adjusting their "disguises".
The end result was still eye-catching, but nowhere near as much a spectacle as Dinny's originals. She still wasn't thrilled with the whole plan, but she was willing to take the small risk to keep him from going entirely stir crazy.
"There." She stepped back from adjusting his hair and looked him over, then nodded. "Good enough, I suppose."