Falls of the Hinterlands and i'm always tired, but never of you

His firebird's receptiveness never failed to surprise Nathaniel. The care he took with her was almost foreign, but even his mind's suppression could not deceive his heart. He had felt this before-- the violet-and-scarlet feeling blooming in his chest. The memory ached, but not enough to discourage him. The ex-soldier didn't expect more from the interaction, but as always, Mona sought to give him more than he bargained for.
The brief touch stilled him instantly. Nathaniel's cracked-ice gaze found his firebird's murky green, and he only stared for a few moments. A million thoughts raced through his head, but none were clear. His instincts told him to turn away, to throw some biting words at her, and he tensed. The words raced up his throat like bile, like venom, but stopped behind his tongue.
"Be gentle." A whisper; a voice from the past. The words were sharp and violent in his mind, not his own, and they wreaked havoc for the briefest moment. Was this his own mind, seeking to excuse him? Or was it really her-- would she urge him on so?
He didn't know, but suddenly he knew he didn't want to let this pass. Nathaniel brought his face close to his firebird's, drawing his nose slowly down the length of her muzzle. His head lowered fractionally, then, to pepper her chin with soft, brief kisses before he drew back a few inches, gaze still fixed on her.