#jastty

He gets his chance sooner than he expects when he catches her training with the new dagger Helmi had made for her from Cayman’s horn. The thing was very convenient, always returning to her belt each time she threw it. She throws the dagger again and again, hitting near her mark every time. It’s not as consistent as when she uses a bow and arrow, but it’s still impressive. 

He watches her for a few moments, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorway with a proud little smile. Tally’s focus and concentration, paired with that calculating look (with only one of her eyes, no less) made something warm and joyful rise up in him. She’s such a masterful fighter. A masterful protector, even if that aspect of her makes him nervous for her safety.

“You are really getting good with that,” he says, interrupting her when she pauses to rest her shoulder. Tally glances over at him and grins.

“Mm, that’s just one of the things I’m good at. Hey there, handsome,” she teases, crossing the room before putting her hands at his hips and smirking up at him. Jasttor snorts and glances away, rubbing his neck. She recognizes it as his way of blushing and her grin widens before she leans up to try and kiss him.

Jasttor realizes a couple of things: one, that there is nobody around at the moment, and two, that this would be a great moment to try and play with the idea of teasing Tally the way she liked to do to him.

So instead of meeting her halfway, he puts a single finger to her lips and tilts his head, scrutinizing her confused expression.

“Wait, I… I want to try something,” he explains (with a bit of a nervous cant to his voice), which doesn’t do much to clear her confusion. He makes up his mind with a determined expression, takes her by the shoulders, and steers her backwards so she’s at the nearest wall where he has control.

She gives him a questioning look when he stares down at her like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle, but he shakes his head slightly. “Just… let me, please?” he asks, and though he doesn’t specify, she understands and gives him a soft look.

“Hmm, all right,” she relents, loosening her arms so her hands are simply resting near his waist, but not moving otherwise. He shoves back his self-consciousness as best he can, running his hands along the sides of her arms before moving in.

Jasttor hears her near-inaudible intake of breath as he leans down, but instead of running his tongue at the seam of her lips–as he usually does to kiss her his way–he catches her bottom lip between his teeth, just barely grazing over them. Tally chases his mouth with hers when he backs away, eager for more. He chuckles at her look of betrayal, his crooked smile rivaling the smirk she usually gives when teasing him. He likes this feeling; it gives him confidence, makes him feel like he can really make her feel as amazing as she does to him.

Tally seems surprised for a moment before the look melts into one of realization and eagerness, and relaxes against him as if accepting the challenge. He hums approvingly, reaching up with his hand to tuck her flyaway hair behind an ear. Using the back of his hand, barely making contact with her skin, he runs it along her cheek, to her jaw and down the side of her neck. Tally sighs in response, the sound turning tight when he grazes his claws gently across her throat and down to her collarbone.

It’s like a flip switching after that, and she goes from relaxed to alert in the span of seconds. Jasttor resists the urge to grin in triumph at this small victory, instead concentrating on making the moment last. He dips his head towards her neck, letting his breath just barely puff over her freckly skin–mirroring what she did to him that first day she came to the guild. She makes a tiny sound of anticipation, but he doesn’t give her anything more. He can see the goosebumps forming across her skin as his breath fans over her.

Tally hums as her hand comes to the underside of his chin to bring him back up from her neck, looking as though she wants to kiss him but only barely brushing her lips against him–like there’s an unspoken barrier there. They just look at each other for a few moments, eyes sharp and focused, eager for more but unwilling to give in to the other.

He’s aware of every part of his body touching hers. The pads of all his fingers brushing the hair at the back of her neck, thumb just behind her ear, the edge of her hipbone pressing into the front of his thigh, her calf brushing his. Even the slightest hint of pressure or warmth feels like everything when the both of them are in this stalemate, inching closer but neither making the first move.

Tally’s face is flushed and hot enough that he can feel it without even touching it at this distance. He inches just a little closer, his jaw parting slightly. Without thinking about it, Jasttor closes his eyes and matches the pattern if his breathing to hers, but opposite–breathing in on her exhale, inhaling when her breath washes over him. Somehow, the closeness, sharing breath with her feels so natural; her breath is warm and sweet-smelling where his is like ozone. He opens his eyes to see her looking up at him with a hazy expression; she licks her lips before glancing down subconsciously and back up again.

Jasttor wants to kiss her so badly but he needs to wait. He needs to let her move first, let her feel this anticipation that’s been gently killing him with every little tease and touch she gives him. He wants her to know what it does to him, he wants her to feel that moment of surrender to him.

He brings his hand to her face, brushing the backs of his fingers over her cheek again. She closes her eyes for a moment in what looks like a sleepy, long blink when he brings the pad of his thumb to her lower lip. He watches as they part just enough to see the edges of her teeth and the pink of her tongue, and his mouth waters. 

And then she encircles his wrist with her fingers and moves his hand upwards, pressing a lingering kiss to the center of his palm. He feels the soft warmth, watches her look up at him tenderly, and feels his heart stutter. It’s such a simple gesture, and yet it’s entirely disarming. Just one small thing, and he feels his resolve crumble.

He loves her. He loves her.

“Jasttor.” Tally’s hoarse whisper pierces the relative silence broken only by their breathing. “Kiss me?”

Well. Maybe it’s not Tally technically making the first move, but he can’t really deny her at this point. Maybe she’ll never surrender to him, but Jasttor thinks he’s all right with that.