[ even after all these years, there are some days that are harder than the rest.
the sun bears down upon her harder than others. her skin prickles and almost pops like she's burning. there's an ache at her collarbones where stag antlers once protruded, and her wrists feel heavier than they do on the good days. sometimes, alina holds out her hands for the sun, but it doesn't come to her as the fireflies do around the orphanage.
these days are hard on her. her bones feel heavier and her muscles overused. she's no good with the children even though she triesβand she really does, wishing to be present for them in a way no adult was present for her.
but he takes over, as he always does. when her skin's a little paler despite her flush. mal always holds her up, much like the sky does the sun.
during most of those days and evenings, she usually slinks away into the shadows. this evening, she slinks into him.
the furred rug is soft beneath her back. alina's wearing nothing but her silk blouse as he tugs her trousers off her hips. ]
Malβ
[ she laughs and ignores how her heart flutters, warming her from the inside out. pressing her hand to her warm face, alina behaves like this is the first timeβ
and sometimes it feels like it is. she's shy rather than confident, wishing to roll away from him lest he look at her too long and see⦠she's not quite sure what she expects him to see. something he likes? ]
I'm fine. You've had a busy day.
[ alina knows her concerns will fall on deaf ears. no matter how early mal rises or how hard he labours, he'll always come to her as though he's fully rested.
her skin burns where he touches her; his fingertips are light against her ankles as he tugs her trousers off her legs. she doesn't like telling him about these days, even though he always makes her feel better. ]
this has some mix of show mechanics & pretending mal reads
( mal presses a kiss to the boney slope of her ankle, a reverent touch of lips as if he were within the halls of a church and praying in the pews. the only altar that malyen oretsev worships at is before him; his home, his country, his wife, the other half of everything that he is and makes him whole.
he misses the times when he knew where she was at all moments, where he was drawn to her like only her proximity filled his chest with air and soothed every wound and worry. it is different now, though he is still a moth to a flame. now they have been unmade and remade, now they are bound by choice and never duty.
and it is no duty to care for her, to ease the aches of long days with anything she asks of him. she does the same with every laugh, with every simple touch.
he does not mind when she needs to rest in the shade, when her bones ache and he must carry her. this part of her has always been his to guard, to protect once he grew beyond the snares of youth.
he kisses her again but this time it is her calf, then the inside of her knee. her thigh before he rests his cheek against her skin, looks up at her from where he is kneeling between her limbs. his shirt has joined her trousers, his own undone. ) A long, hard day is best ended with tending to those one loves. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.
( heard it somewhere, maybe. or made up on the spot and sealed it with another kiss and a boyish grin.
it has been a long day, the work to keep a homestead and tend to children as rambunctious as they once were tiring. yet, he wouldn't trade a moment of this life for another. )
she's kissing him. one of her favourite pastimes. alina smiles against his lips, sucking his bottom lip between hers before she tips her head away slightly so she can murmur, ]
I'm pretty sure you heard that from Viktor, who heard it from Mikhail, who heard that from Irina.
[ she chuckles. gliding her hand along his nape, she cups the back of his head and drags her nails down his back with her other hand. when the world feels upside down and inside out, touching mal, hearing the little sounds he makes, and feeling the warmth of his skin is enough to centre her. ]
Mal.
[ this time, it's not said in a desire to protest his ministrations. she loves it when he's here, when he's either beneath or on top of her. alina's never felt so safe, so free to simply fall apart if she so wishes to. if she does, he won't ever begrudge her for being ridiculously human. ]
It hurts here.
[ she taps her fingers against the underside of her jaw near her ear. there'd been an ache hours ago that's long since gone, but malyen oretsev doesn't need to know that. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hello π
the sun bears down upon her harder than others. her skin prickles and almost pops like she's burning. there's an ache at her collarbones where stag antlers once protruded, and her wrists feel heavier than they do on the good days. sometimes, alina holds out her hands for the sun, but it doesn't come to her as the fireflies do around the orphanage.
these days are hard on her. her bones feel heavier and her muscles overused. she's no good with the children even though she triesβand she really does, wishing to be present for them in a way no adult was present for her.
but he takes over, as he always does. when her skin's a little paler despite her flush. mal always holds her up, much like the sky does the sun.
during most of those days and evenings, she usually slinks away into the shadows. this evening, she slinks into him.
the furred rug is soft beneath her back. alina's wearing nothing but her silk blouse as he tugs her trousers off her hips. ]
Malβ
[ she laughs and ignores how her heart flutters, warming her from the inside out. pressing her hand to her warm face, alina behaves like this is the first timeβ
and sometimes it feels like it is. she's shy rather than confident, wishing to roll away from him lest he look at her too long and see⦠she's not quite sure what she expects him to see. something he likes? ]
I'm fine. You've had a busy day.
[ alina knows her concerns will fall on deaf ears. no matter how early mal rises or how hard he labours, he'll always come to her as though he's fully rested.
her skin burns where he touches her; his fingertips are light against her ankles as he tugs her trousers off her legs. she doesn't like telling him about these days, even though he always makes her feel better. ]
this has some mix of show mechanics & pretending mal reads
he misses the times when he knew where she was at all moments, where he was drawn to her like only her proximity filled his chest with air and soothed every wound and worry. it is different now, though he is still a moth to a flame. now they have been unmade and remade, now they are bound by choice and never duty.
and it is no duty to care for her, to ease the aches of long days with anything she asks of him. she does the same with every laugh, with every simple touch.
he does not mind when she needs to rest in the shade, when her bones ache and he must carry her. this part of her has always been his to guard, to protect once he grew beyond the snares of youth.
he kisses her again but this time it is her calf, then the inside of her knee. her thigh before he rests his cheek against her skin, looks up at her from where he is kneeling between her limbs. his shirt has joined her trousers, his own undone. ) A long, hard day is best ended with tending to those one loves. I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere.
( heard it somewhere, maybe. or made up on the spot and sealed it with another kiss and a boyish grin.
it has been a long day, the work to keep a homestead and tend to children as rambunctious as they once were tiring. yet, he wouldn't trade a moment of this life for another. )
mal knows what a book is???? #alinasimpact
she opens her mouth andβ
she's kissing him. one of her favourite pastimes. alina smiles against his lips, sucking his bottom lip between hers before she tips her head away slightly so she can murmur, ]
I'm pretty sure you heard that from Viktor, who heard it from Mikhail, who heard that from Irina.
[ she chuckles. gliding her hand along his nape, she cups the back of his head and drags her nails down his back with her other hand. when the world feels upside down and inside out, touching mal, hearing the little sounds he makes, and feeling the warmth of his skin is enough to centre her. ]
Mal.
[ this time, it's not said in a desire to protest his ministrations. she loves it when he's here, when he's either beneath or on top of her. alina's never felt so safe, so free to simply fall apart if she so wishes to. if she does, he won't ever begrudge her for being ridiculously human. ]
It hurts here.
[ she taps her fingers against the underside of her jaw near her ear. there'd been an ache hours ago that's long since gone, but malyen oretsev doesn't need to know that. ]