#sinden

“You are fine.” She responded frankly, too preoccupied with her own bliss to say anymore. Raiden however, wasn’t sure how to interpret her shortness with him so he stammered through his next words.

“Yes good. I just want to be sure I am not hurting you, as I would like to treat your hair with the utmost care that it deserves. I can not imagine I am doing as well as you would be since you know your locks more intimately than I but still I wish to…”

His voice began to fade out as Sindel closed her eyes, letting herself be taken by his smooth ministrations.

“Empress?” Raiden spoke up. He paused his brushing to be sure he could hear her respond. Sindel hummed in response, awaking from the fugue state the pampering had put her in. She exhaled sharply from her nose with a smile as her surroundings and Raiden’s voice began to register once more.

“Come now, I would have hoped we would be past the need for formalities between us.” She turned her head slightly to catch him in the corner of her eye, watching him shift uncomfortably. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but she relished the moments in which she managed to pierce through the god's stoic attitude and catch even the faintest of glimpses of humanity she knew was in there.

“But I am serving you. I do not wish to disrespe-”

“And besides,” Sindel interrupted, bringing Raiden to attention.

“I quite like the sound of my name on your lips.” She smiled at him as best as she could with her face mostly turned away from him. Raiden stayed silent, choosing instead to return his focus on brushing Sindel’s hair. He took a deep breath, shakily exhaling before breaking the silence.

“You have beautiful hair, Sindel.” He said matter of factly.

“And I thank you for helping me take care of it. Perhaps one day you can take off that cowl of yours and let me return the favor?” Sindel asked sweetly. Raiden smiled sheepishly at her request, growing flushed at the thought.

“I could never ask that of you, Empre-Sindel." Raiden corrected himself, incorrectly assuming Sindel hadn't noticed.  

"Regardless, I prefer to keep mine out of the way, and to take it out would just be a bur-”

“Raiden?”

It was at that moment Raiden understood how one could love the sound of their own name on another’s lips.

“You are brushing rather fast now.” Raiden cursed his own nerves for making themselves known.

“Forgive me.”

“It’s quite alright, I think you’ve brushed through the last of it if anything.” Sindel gently ran her hands over her hair, bringing some to it to the front to cascade over her chest.

“Then I supposed I should be on my way.” Raiden began to rise from where he was sitting, only to feel his wrist gently tugged on by the very locks he had just spend the last hour tending to.

“You need not leave so soon, Raiden. I hope I haven’t led you to believe I only desire your service and not your company as well.” Raiden sat back down in front of Sindel, this time facing her. She smiled gently as she slowly raised her hands towards Raiden’s face, being sure to give him enough time to reject her touch. Her fingers were gentle as she thumbed the edge of the cowl, finding a grip so that she could slowly pull it off of him. Raiden closed his eyes as it passed up and over his head, opening them once he was completely free of it. She found Sindel looking directly at him, smiling at the sight of his hair draped across his shoulders.

“You’re hair is too lovely to always be hiding it, Lord Raiden.”

“It seems I am not the only who struggles to move past formalities” Raiden teased. Sindel chuckled to herself, bringing her hand to the brush that was laying by her side. With a twirl of her finger he gestured for Raiden to turn around, giving her access to his hair now. Sindel leaned into Raiden, ever so slightly grazing her chin on his shoulder while she spoke softly into his ear.