[By the time either of them realize what's happening, they've already been in hiding for a month. A month of laying low out in the country together, him swearing to protect her at any cost. This world isn't her own, and she doesn't fit in at all. But she quite literally fell into his lap, and he's been determined to keep her safe ever since.
When she suggests they run out as far as they can to the countryside, he seems to go along with that plan. Anyone that assumes she's able to actually control time and space likely isn't going to look for her out there. But what starts as simply hiding out quickly turns into the two of them working together to clean up the small cottage and the barn just out beyond.
Cleaning quickly turns into building something that resembles a home, and Clara can't remember the last time she's spent so long in one place. But eventually they start a garden and tend to the bees that have made their home in the fields right behind the cottage. Sheep show up the second week in, and despite Mal swearing they just appeared, Clara's certain he went to find them simply to please her.
The dogs and cats and cows and ducks mysteriously arrive the week after that, and soon enough they have a simple but busy life. They spend their days working their little farm, and their nights huddled close together, chatting and her reading books aloud to him. Those nights spent close together slowly become less and less innocent as time goes on, simple touches of their hands and lingering stares increasing in frequency.
When he finally seems to have had enough of the mounting tension, he finds her one afternoon in the barn. It's just started to rain, and Clara's run through the fields from the beehives in order to seek shelter. He's been out chopping wood, and is soaking wet when he steps into the barn with his axe in hand. Her eyes are wide as she stares over at him, taking in the sight he makes. She isn't sure she's ever seen anything so attractive in her entire life.
Or anything she's wanted more.
It's that thought that's on her mind as he sets the axe aside and he steps in close to fuss over her. All she can do is keep her eyes on his lips, even as she reassures him that she's fine. It's Clara that rises up on her tiptoes to steal the first kiss, but it's him that decides to move in close, pressing her against one of the posts in the barn.]
Look at you, stepping up to claim what you want. [She teases, knowing very well he only lets her boss him around because he fancies her.] It's about time.
[ this life, the simple passage of time shared on a small farm is what mal's wanted for a long time. long ago when he stood as an outsider in the orphanage, even with alina at his side.
later still when he'd traded the lodging of the orphanage for an army cot. he hadn't imagined that he'd have it.
the circumstances are different, of course, but there's not a part of mal that is complaining about the life he's built with clara in the last month. a part of him has forgotten that this is for her safety, that he is meant to protect and not get lost in what could be.
and yet, while they are here --- why not enjoy it? why not savor the nights by the fire or the days tending to the animals. why not nurture a spark of something that he does not want to end, when his whole life has been about not holding on too tightly because nice things rarely happen to ravkan orphans.
all things slip away but even if this does, not now. it's too late anyway for not getting attached, not when their touches linger and mal finds his gaze drawn to clara like she's the brightest star shining in the night sky. he finds animals to tend to that she mentions, feels himself breathing easier when she lights up at the sight of sheep or the stray mutt who'd followed mal back from his last hunting trip and had helped him track pheasants.
he's chopping wood when the rains start, a surprise storm that leaves everything soaked through. mal hadn't bothered with a shirt and it would be a lie to say he wasn't showing off for her.
clara runs for the barn and mal, drawn like moth to flame, follows. they're both panting and while the sound of rain echoes through the space, everything fades away and all he can focus on is clara. how much he wants, how much he needs to kiss her now. it's been weeks of not-so-innocent touches, of near kisses broken up by the sound of animals or someone passing by.
he's sure and yet --
she's soaked and mal wants to make sure she's alright. so he stalks close after setting down the axe and realizes, as she leans up to press her lips to his to cut off his worry, that maybe he's been the prey all along. his hands fall to her waist as he crowds her against the beam. she's so much smaller than him, easy to lift up as she wraps her arms around his shoulders. ] Finally? [ he raises a brow at that, but his words are teasing and there's cockiness bleeding through. ] I was trying to be a gentleman. [ except there's nothing about mal that's gentleman. certainly not now as she presses keeps her close, as he leans in to kiss her again. ]
Who said I wanted you to be a gentleman? [She retorts, knowing very well that he wouldn't want to actually be one. No, he's too rough around the edges, lacking trust in men that would properly call themselves a gentleman. But he has been nothing but sweet and chaste with her until now, and even after that kiss and with as close as they're pressed together? He's not being anything but gentle with her as he kisses her again.
All the weeks of growing closer and toeing the line of will they or won't they have ended in this. The tension between them is thick now, only growing stronger by the second. It goes straight to her head, making her dizzy with desire. He had been showing off for her earlier. And she had craved him then. But now they're equally cocky and sure of themselves, both running hot with arousal and a need to be close.
And of course they're going at it in the barn of all places. She supposes that's part of living a quiet and charmed life in the country. They have all the privacy in the world on their little farm. The home they made together is cozy and safe, so far removed from the rest of the world that there's no need to worry about prying eyes or being discovered. This is their little world, and all that matters is one another.]
Think I'd prefer it if you weren't, actually.
[There's no need to pretend to be a gentleman, at least not any longer. Not when he's lifted her, and her hands are all over him, and her legs have lifted to curl around him. They're pressed close, and the post at her back gives her purchase enough that she can rock ever so slightly against him. Of course, there's not much they can do still fully clothed. Especially with as soaking wet as they both are. But with the way she's looking up at him now, eyes dark with lust and want, lips kiss swollen and breath coming heavier now; she thinks that he'll be able to tear her clothes off of her in record time simply due to a need to have her then and there.
They've been dancing around this attraction for far too long now. She isn't sure it's possible to turn back and act like this kiss never happened. Not that she wants to. If anything, she wants to hurry forward and never look back. They ran into having to hide here together, her crashing into his life and this world making them both a target. And he's dedicated himself to protecting her, even when he didn't have to. He's taken care of her, worked with her to help her adjust. And now she loves the life they've made, and wants nothing more to make it something they can truly experience together. Completely, without any hesitation.
Hopefully he doesn't mind abandoning the thought of being a gentleman to get them there.]
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When she suggests they run out as far as they can to the countryside, he seems to go along with that plan. Anyone that assumes she's able to actually control time and space likely isn't going to look for her out there. But what starts as simply hiding out quickly turns into the two of them working together to clean up the small cottage and the barn just out beyond.
Cleaning quickly turns into building something that resembles a home, and Clara can't remember the last time she's spent so long in one place. But eventually they start a garden and tend to the bees that have made their home in the fields right behind the cottage. Sheep show up the second week in, and despite Mal swearing they just appeared, Clara's certain he went to find them simply to please her.
The dogs and cats and cows and ducks mysteriously arrive the week after that, and soon enough they have a simple but busy life. They spend their days working their little farm, and their nights huddled close together, chatting and her reading books aloud to him. Those nights spent close together slowly become less and less innocent as time goes on, simple touches of their hands and lingering stares increasing in frequency.
When he finally seems to have had enough of the mounting tension, he finds her one afternoon in the barn. It's just started to rain, and Clara's run through the fields from the beehives in order to seek shelter. He's been out chopping wood, and is soaking wet when he steps into the barn with his axe in hand. Her eyes are wide as she stares over at him, taking in the sight he makes. She isn't sure she's ever seen anything so attractive in her entire life.
Or anything she's wanted more.
It's that thought that's on her mind as he sets the axe aside and he steps in close to fuss over her. All she can do is keep her eyes on his lips, even as she reassures him that she's fine. It's Clara that rises up on her tiptoes to steal the first kiss, but it's him that decides to move in close, pressing her against one of the posts in the barn.]
Look at you, stepping up to claim what you want. [She teases, knowing very well he only lets her boss him around because he fancies her.] It's about time.
no subject
later still when he'd traded the lodging of the orphanage for an army cot. he hadn't imagined that he'd have it.
the circumstances are different, of course, but there's not a part of mal that is complaining about the life he's built with clara in the last month. a part of him has forgotten that this is for her safety, that he is meant to protect and not get lost in what could be.
and yet, while they are here --- why not enjoy it? why not savor the nights by the fire or the days tending to the animals. why not nurture a spark of something that he does not want to end, when his whole life has been about not holding on too tightly because nice things rarely happen to ravkan orphans.
all things slip away but even if this does, not now. it's too late anyway for not getting attached, not when their touches linger and mal finds his gaze drawn to clara like she's the brightest star shining in the night sky. he finds animals to tend to that she mentions, feels himself breathing easier when she lights up at the sight of sheep or the stray mutt who'd followed mal back from his last hunting trip and had helped him track pheasants.
he's chopping wood when the rains start, a surprise storm that leaves everything soaked through. mal hadn't bothered with a shirt and it would be a lie to say he wasn't showing off for her.
clara runs for the barn and mal, drawn like moth to flame, follows. they're both panting and while the sound of rain echoes through the space, everything fades away and all he can focus on is clara. how much he wants, how much he needs to kiss her now. it's been weeks of not-so-innocent touches, of near kisses broken up by the sound of animals or someone passing by.
he's sure and yet --
she's soaked and mal wants to make sure she's alright. so he stalks close after setting down the axe and realizes, as she leans up to press her lips to his to cut off his worry, that maybe he's been the prey all along. his hands fall to her waist as he crowds her against the beam. she's so much smaller than him, easy to lift up as she wraps her arms around his shoulders. ] Finally? [ he raises a brow at that, but his words are teasing and there's cockiness bleeding through. ] I was trying to be a gentleman. [ except there's nothing about mal that's gentleman. certainly not now as she presses keeps her close, as he leans in to kiss her again. ]
no subject
All the weeks of growing closer and toeing the line of will they or won't they have ended in this. The tension between them is thick now, only growing stronger by the second. It goes straight to her head, making her dizzy with desire. He had been showing off for her earlier. And she had craved him then. But now they're equally cocky and sure of themselves, both running hot with arousal and a need to be close.
And of course they're going at it in the barn of all places. She supposes that's part of living a quiet and charmed life in the country. They have all the privacy in the world on their little farm. The home they made together is cozy and safe, so far removed from the rest of the world that there's no need to worry about prying eyes or being discovered. This is their little world, and all that matters is one another.]
Think I'd prefer it if you weren't, actually.
[There's no need to pretend to be a gentleman, at least not any longer. Not when he's lifted her, and her hands are all over him, and her legs have lifted to curl around him. They're pressed close, and the post at her back gives her purchase enough that she can rock ever so slightly against him. Of course, there's not much they can do still fully clothed. Especially with as soaking wet as they both are. But with the way she's looking up at him now, eyes dark with lust and want, lips kiss swollen and breath coming heavier now; she thinks that he'll be able to tear her clothes off of her in record time simply due to a need to have her then and there.
They've been dancing around this attraction for far too long now. She isn't sure it's possible to turn back and act like this kiss never happened. Not that she wants to. If anything, she wants to hurry forward and never look back. They ran into having to hide here together, her crashing into his life and this world making them both a target. And he's dedicated himself to protecting her, even when he didn't have to. He's taken care of her, worked with her to help her adjust. And now she loves the life they've made, and wants nothing more to make it something they can truly experience together. Completely, without any hesitation.
Hopefully he doesn't mind abandoning the thought of being a gentleman to get them there.]