As soon as his hand found its place on her hip, she playfully clasped her pearly teeth between her lips and gracefully shifted her position on the bed to draw nearer to him. In the subdued ambiance of their room, illuminated solely by the faint glow of distant night lights seeping through the cocooned blinds, the play of shadows danced upon her countenance.
"Do not confuse my enduring patience and discretion for hesitancy, Damien."
Her left middle finger, sculpted into a sharp gilded talon by her costume just hours earlier, traced a delicate path over his smoothly contoured cheek. Simultaneously, she raised his chin with the bent index finger of her right hand. The meticulousness and finesse of her movements bordered on the ethereal, especially when combined with the room's dim illumination.
"Indiscretion and rushing into marriage after a single night together – It is why Liberty boasts one of the highest divorce rates in the Sector, is it not?"
He shook his head in slight disagreement while also drawing her in closer and into a more intimate position. "Marriages here are built on a foundation of convenience - so it's like standing on quick sand. Partners will abandon each other for a better deal as and when they see fit. It's why those of us who value companionship are slow to trust and even slower to divulge secrets." The world he was from sounded thoroughly cutthroat, and chalk full of people willing to use attachment as a weapon for their own gain as long as it guaranteed wealth.
It was clear he was fighting some form of impulse given the quick glance down at her lips before he continued talking. "There's usually no genuine connection, and no spark - just self interest." His focus managed to recover and helped ensure that his hands were kept to themselves, at least for now, but his eyes said everything he wasn't. With some degree of clarity he posed a question which felt appropriate. "Is that how you see this? An indiscretion?" He made it sound like it was truly sinful to even consider for the purpose of humor, but he did genuinely want to know.
In the back of his mind he was still thinking about it. That sensation or perhaps a feeling which crept in. It was entirely foreign to him like a new language on the ears or the sudden introduction of citrus to chilled water. Refreshing but strange, and easy enough to develop a taste for.
"Before I answer you, permit me to pose a rhetorical inquiry, Damien."
She slightly narrowed her steely-blue eyes, which, even in this intimate moment, retained a fraction of their typically sharp and piercing gaze. Both of her hands came to rest gradually on his shoulders. Amid this intimacy, instead of passion, an unnaturally serene, almost inhuman calm emanated from her essence. This was accentuated by her unhurried motions and the well rested expression on her visage, despite having had only about three hours of sleep.
"How would your people perceive you in this circumstance?"
It likely did not demand much effort for either of them to envision the Xenos' response to this situation, despite his senior rank. After all, his own people had made an attempt on his life once before, relatively recently. She raised the index finger of her right hand as her immediate answer has followed.
"My people may not take kindly to it, yet I surmise it would not be nearly as disagreeable as the reception you would receive from your own, Damien. By objective criteria, then, it qualifies as an indiscretion - and quite a significant one at that."
Despite the gravity of the entire situation, she emitted a soft, mischievous chuckle at the end of her last sentence.
A smile and a nod followed her comment about how this might be viewed by his own people, but he didn't interject and politely let her finish, once she had, he spoke up. "Most would question my motives and doubt the integrity of my leadership. Some might allege that I've become a vassal, acting under your influence, and serving your interests rather than the LFR's. Another number would accuse me of betrayal. There would even be a token few who would congratulate me for bedding one of you. They might even be so bold as to ask how I did it." A sharp exhale of amusement punctuated his last comment, he found it funny because it felt like a certainty, and he had accounted for quite a broad spectrum of reactions.
"I knew the risks, what people would think or do if they knew, it's just that despite the potential controversy I can't call this an indiscretion. I didn't bring you here on impulse, I actively made that decision, and I don't regret doing it. Indiscretions are whimsical, or at least that's how I understand them, and all of this has felt.. significant" His hands shifted at last, moving up and across her back, and then taking hold of her face.
This gesture lasted for a few moments, likely because he just wanted to look at her, and after those moments of silent admiration or perhaps observation, he shifted to move out from beneath her. "I'll be stepping into the shower after I freshen up. Do you want to join me?" Deliberately, he lowered the tone of his voice, seeking to make this an attractive prospect. Of course this also relied on his partner not obstructing his movement, and her own intentions in the moment weren't clear, she always concealed that.
She yielded to his movements but gently shook her head, an expression of mild disapproval flickering across her features in response to his suggestion.
"I have already put in the effort with my hair and makeup. The notion of a shared shower can wait for another occasion."
A fleeting, amused smirk graced her lips, and her steel-blue eyes subtly narrowed, revealing a hint of mischief. It was a deliberate response, a testament to her penchant for not immediately acquiescing to her partner's desires. As Damien Morreti had evidently gleaned, everything she did had its own time and place, a characteristic deeply embedded in her nature.
"Nevertheless, do not fret. I have no intention of leaving yet. I will wait."
She gracefully rose from the bed, setting about gathering their discarded clothes strewn haphazardly around the room. Her movements were meticulous as she straightened and folded them into two neat piles, all the while her companion was attempting to wake himself up in the shower after having only enjoyed a brief three-hour respite.
She was still an enigma even now after having been intimate. But he wouldn't have it any other way if he was honest with himself. "Alright then." There was no hint of disappointment in his voice over her polite refusal, if anything, he sounded as if he was implying that she was losing out by choosing to stay in the bedroom.
He didn't take long at all, opting for a short cold shower before going about a lengthier routine in front of the mirror, appearances had to be kept after all. The first thing to strike the room upon his return was the smell, a pleasant mix of what must have been shampoo and a tasteful choice in aftershave, and at least for the moment his only piece of clothing was a towel around the waist.
"Thank you." It seemed like he had said this in response to how she had laid his clothes out neatly. But it might have been for the time spent together. Or something else entirely. The drowsiness from before was gone now and instead replaced by his usual sharp attention to detail and wit. "Are you going to watch me dress?" It was a playful taunt as he fetched his trousers first. He was waiting for her to answer or otherwise react before deciding on a course of action though.
She turned her head toward him as he emerged from the shower, offering a slight nod in response to his thanks for folding his clothes. Her reaction implied that gratitude was unnecessary, as her actions were plainly evident. It was a glimpse into the conservative upbringing and guidance she had undoubtedly received.
His second comment elicited another faint grin, a trace of amusement dancing in her eyes. Nevertheless, she gently shook her head.
"As tempting as your offer is, Damien, I can control myself and grant you the privacy to change without an audience."
There was a faint trace of reproach in her tone, as if something about the offer had irked or offended her inwardly. Her vexation was but momentary, deftly concealed behind her benevolent smile. Leaving her companion to contemplate whether he had indeed erred, she moved toward the bed and began to neatly strip it. Just as she had meticulously folded their clothes, her manners dictated leaving the bedroom in impeccable condition after their night together. This way, their host, or more precisely, his staff, would have as little labor with it as possible.
If nothing else he was perceptive, and he did seem concerned. As soon as he was presentably clothed he rushed to speak, but with some difficulty, the words didn't sound right in his head. At least not in the language he originally contemplated them in. And so he defaulted to her language. Not as part of some great strategic consideration to appease or win favor. But because it felt natural - it was sincere.
"Amo i tuoi sorrisi, e amo ancor più quelli che mi doni mentre mi guardi. Dev'essere stata l'ansia di averne un altro a far correre la lingua." "I love your smiles, and I love those you gift while regarding me even more. It must have been the hurry to see one more of those to make me misspeak."
Hesitantly, he approached, one hand extended as if requesting permission to advance further and be in close proximity.
As he began to speak in her native tongue, her eyebrows arched in a mildly surprised expression. It was a pleasant surprise, evident in her relaxed shoulders and overall posture. For that moment, she appeared far from an otherworldly entity poised for action.
She listened intently to his words, but as Damien grappled with the pronunciation of each word, an amused smirk graced her lips once more. She whispered a single sentence in her native language.
"Vedo che stai facendo dei notevoli progressi nelle tue lezioni."
"[I see that you are making remarkable progress in your lessons.]"
Interlocking the fingers of her right hand with his, she drew closer to him.
Once again, he felt those foreign sensations seeping into his own consciousness. It was a cascade of delightful feelings and experiences, bordering on intoxication and disorientation, especially if he chose to close his eyes and immerse himself in them. Isolating and naming them individually proved impossible, yet he might liken them to contentment, joy, or something beyond words.
At first he stood his ground and acknowledged his progress.
"Ho un ottimo incentivo." "I have good incentive."
The incentive was her, obviously, and he had never made any attempt to hide what his enthusiasm for being so studious about the language was.
But in the instant those sensations struck him, he felt his restraint slip if only a little, and acted on impulse. His feet drove him forward until the gap between them was bridged and at which point he embraced her tightly.
"Anche se l'idea iniziale era quella di fingere, mi chiedo se non sarebbe meglio uscire da qui come una coppia vera." "Even if the initial idea was to pretend, I wonder if it wouldn't be better to leave here as a real couple."
The words were a whisper - nothing more was really needed in such close proximity. For a moment it even felt like his breath fluttered.
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