Hushed Willows world enough, and time

✹☾❂

 

As always with Eleuthera, her heart called out to him but her body stayed where it was. This whole thing — being romanced, being more than friends — was entirely new to her. She didn’t know what was the appropriate thing to do, especially when dealing with a gentleman. Was it too much, to run and embrace him? What would the faeries think, if an uninitiated member was found canoodling with a nameless man amongst the trees?

Add in the fact that in the time they were apart, the irrational part Eleuthera’s brain had convinced herself that it was all a ruse and she would never see the man again, and it’s not surprised Eleuthera was astonished to see him here, in the flesh. He was a seasoned traveller, married to the road, while she had forsaken herself and settled; found a place called home. There was no hope for it really, was there?

and then there was Séamus. 

But dead wolves tell no tales, and Kincaid had shown up on her doorstep all ragged and roadweary, singing and seeking her attention. Eleuthera simply stood back and took in the sight of him, a simpering smirk on her maw, silently reveling in the fact that he had come for her when there were so many other woman, women just as beautiful and kind as she, in the world. But he was here, calling for her, and none of those other women mattered at all.

She was silent only in voice, however, for her body brightly bespoke her eagerness to be reunited with the curvature of his embrace. She was entirely unaware that he was in the process of convincing himself that she didn’t want him, until he spoke. The idea of him leaving was so preposterous that she was nearly pulled towards him due to the magnetic force emanating deep within her chest. Eleuthera could not help but take a step, and another step towards him — oh, there was no way he was leaving.

Eleuthera giggled, as if Kincaid had told a joke. “Don’t be silly," she said with an earnest voice, willing him to not overthink things. There was plenty to think about, and many roadblocks to work around, but that was future-eleuthera-and-kincaid’s problem. Suddenly, there was nothing more important than being close to him, and breathing him in, and checking to see if their hearts still beat as one. Her stomach clenched, wondering if anything had changed and hating the idea of it.

They had both been parrying steps, striding a few feet closer here and there, but Eleuthera surrendered and ate up the distance in several buoyant, enthusiastic leaps. “You’re not going anywhere," she murmured, snaking her neck against his and breathing deep, expecting his nearness to still her heart as it had done prior.

“You know, I was just thinking about you, and then I heard your call."