#brahammander

"Hey," Braham appeared before her, hand held out, "dance with me?"

Keres blinked, staring first at his hand and then up at his face. He was completely sober. "I—" She glanced around the room full of people. "Are you sure?"

He grinned at her and wiggled his fingers. She huffed, rolling her eyes, but took his hand all the same, practiced by now at minding her claws. Her tail swished nervously, sweeping the back of her dress out and making it sparkle gently in the light. "Braham," she muttered, her ears flicking back.

"Relax," he murmured, turning and tugging her in once they got to the dance floor. "Most of 'em are looking at Kas and Jory. And who cares if they're lookin' at us?" His grin did ease her nerves, as did the sure touch of his hand at her waist. Or well, it eased the nerves at being seen. It stirred up entirely different nerves, though. "Is the big bad commander scared of lil 'ol me?" He teased, but his voice was gentle.

She growled lightly at him, more playful than anything. "Shut up," she muttered, ducking her head. She took a breath and looked up at him again. He wasn't as unaffected as he was pretending, at least. She could smell him, his own nervousness, his body's reaction to being so close. It was heady. And terrifying. "Don't complain if I step on your toes."

He laughed, relaxing, and tugged her the last few inches closer. "I won't," he promised. They swayed together to the music more than anything, keeping to their own corner of the dance floor. Though Keres did catch Kas's eye as her and Jory passed them and ducked her head, hiding her face against Braham's shoulder. Her ears flattened against her head in embarrassment, her tail swishing twice.

"Ugh, Kas," she muttered, feeling more than hearing Braham chuckle.

"C'mon, don't worry about them. It's just us, having fun," he coaxed, squeezing her paw where it rested in his hand.

And, well. It was nice. Braham smelled good, and he looked good, and being with him alaways put her more at ease than it did make her nervous. So she exhaled hard and lifted her head to offer him a smile. "Right," she agreed. "Just us, having fun." Even as his hand on her hip felt like a brand, as the miniscule space between their bodies was something she couldn't stop noticing. Even as his breath hitched every time their bodies brushed against each other.

"I uh," he started, voice only strained a little, "I wanted to tell you that you look uh. Good. Beautiful, I mean. In the dress."

Flames, but he was going to be the death of her. Though, his familiar rambling was endearing. He'd never seen in her in a dress before. "Thanks," she managed, settling her free paw against his chest. "The suit looks good on you."

He ducked his head and cleared his throat. "Jory talked me into it."

"Uh huh. Threatened you, more like." She patted him gently, grinning a little when his breath hitched again. It would be so easy to give in, to let the heat between them flare up. She wanted it. Him. So badly it hurt, sometimes. Like now, held in his arms, with that soft look on his face...That same look he'd had when he'd told her he'd loved her years ago.

But heat stoked into flames could burn them both. He had a duty to his people, and she...Well. She had a duty to Aurene and Tyria. It wouldn't be fair to ask for more from him, when she didn't know what would happen. What being Aurene's champion even meant long-term. When she was...Whatever she was now. Burnt and scarred and barely a person anymore.

"Hey," Braham whispered, brow wrinked in concern over whatever he was seeing on her face. "What's wrong?" He lifted the hand on her hip to brush the fur under her eye with a knuckle, and she hadn't even realized she'd started crying. "Ker?"

She closed her eyes and took one more breath, taking in his scent. Then she managed to dredge up a smile from somewhere and patted him gently on the chest again as she stepped back. "It's nothing. I'm fine." A lie they could both see through. But one he let her have. "Just tired, I think. Gonna go get some air."

He nodded. "Right." He let her paw slip from his hand, and she could feel his eyes on her back as she turned and made her way through the crowd.